Tweet
Anyone looking forward to the new Conan starring Arnie?
Yes, in the summer of 2014 Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan the Barbarian will return for another go with the broadsword. However, screenwriter-producer Chris Morgan recently admitted that it was no easy feat convincing the former Governator to reprise his role as the sword and sorcery hero.
"To put yourself out there in your 60s? As Conan the Barbarian? I could see why he'd hesitate," Morgan told the LA Times. "You’re really putting yourself out there."
Of course, in time, a deal was eventually finalized. As previously announced, The Legend of Conan will ignore the 2011 reboot starring Jason Momoa. Instead, the film will act as a continuation of the original film. "Not a reboot, not a remake. Just an update. Where has the character been all this time? A catch-up with Conan," Morgan said.
As the producer put it, The Legend of Conan will focus more on the magisterial ruler than the barbarian of old. "He's not going out and fighting battles, but he ends up getting drawn into something," Morgan continued. "And he has to access the barbarian he was in his youth. I love that Conan has been many things in his life, notably a pirate, a major tactician and a commander of men. In this movie, we're going to tap into some of those things -- things you haven't seen on screen yet."
And what of Schwarznegger's aging body, which (let's face it) isn't the hulking mass of muscles that it used to be? Well, fans need not worry about seeing any CG enhancements. "I want the warrior whose joints have started to fuse together, who has to crack the cartilage so he can pick up a sword again," Morgan said. "I want the guy who’s not necessarily lost a step, but there's some rust he has to shake off. I want to embrace that. It makes it a greater hero story.
"Conan needs to be faced with challenges," he explained. "The greatest challenge to him isn’t the armies that are set before him. It's, on some level, self-doubt, a little bit of slowing down and forcing yourself to be heroic beyond what people expect of you. What I don't want is for him to step back in and look the same. That would defeat the purpose of our story."
The Legend of Conan is currently slated for a summer 2014 debut.
"To put yourself out there in your 60s? As Conan the Barbarian? I could see why he'd hesitate," Morgan told the LA Times. "You’re really putting yourself out there."
Of course, in time, a deal was eventually finalized. As previously announced, The Legend of Conan will ignore the 2011 reboot starring Jason Momoa. Instead, the film will act as a continuation of the original film. "Not a reboot, not a remake. Just an update. Where has the character been all this time? A catch-up with Conan," Morgan said.
As the producer put it, The Legend of Conan will focus more on the magisterial ruler than the barbarian of old. "He's not going out and fighting battles, but he ends up getting drawn into something," Morgan continued. "And he has to access the barbarian he was in his youth. I love that Conan has been many things in his life, notably a pirate, a major tactician and a commander of men. In this movie, we're going to tap into some of those things -- things you haven't seen on screen yet."
And what of Schwarznegger's aging body, which (let's face it) isn't the hulking mass of muscles that it used to be? Well, fans need not worry about seeing any CG enhancements. "I want the warrior whose joints have started to fuse together, who has to crack the cartilage so he can pick up a sword again," Morgan said. "I want the guy who’s not necessarily lost a step, but there's some rust he has to shake off. I want to embrace that. It makes it a greater hero story.
"Conan needs to be faced with challenges," he explained. "The greatest challenge to him isn’t the armies that are set before him. It's, on some level, self-doubt, a little bit of slowing down and forcing yourself to be heroic beyond what people expect of you. What I don't want is for him to step back in and look the same. That would defeat the purpose of our story."
The Legend of Conan is currently slated for a summer 2014 debut.
Comment