Big things were supposed to happen with Jason Momoa. In the spring of 2011, the actor was prematurely given the CinemaCon Rising Actor Award. Five months later, the R-rated "Conan The Barbarian" reboot opened and flopped hard, earning a paltry $48 million worldwide on a budget of $90 million. Next, Momoa will be seen grunting with Sylvester Stallone in the cheap-looking "Bullet To The Head," and as for Conan, it looked like the character was dead. But no property is every truly dead in Hollywood.
Just over a year later, the franchise is getting another reboot, and believe it or not, the 65-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to play the character once again. He'll star in "The Legend Of Conan," a project whose storyline will follow the ending of the 1982 original. "This movie picks up Conan where Arnold is now in his life, and we will be able to use the fact that he has aged in this story. I love the property of Conan so much that I wouldn’t touch it unless we came up with something worthy. We think this is a worthy successor to the original film. Think of this as Conan’s 'Unforgiven,' ” producer and possible screenwriter on the movie Chris Morgan ("47 Ronin," "Wanted") told Deadline.
Momoa is not slated to return, and 'Legend' will basically ignore everything that happened in the 'Conan' sequels, for a picture that everyone involved says is something the fans have been dying to see. And while there is no decision yet on whether or not the movie — set up at Universal — will embrace an R rating, tonally they want to keep it real at the very least. “I loved the choices they made in that film,” Morgan said of the original. “You start with the wholesale slaughter and death of Conan’s village at the hand of the warlord played by James Earl Jones, and you see young Conan chained to a wheel as he becomes stronger. Then he’s a pit fighter, and later basically a stud bull before he meets the first kind person of his life, who lets him go. All of that horrific stuff happened for a reason, and then an act of kindness sends him on his journey. Will that level of violence be there? Absolutely, but only if it serves a character who lives by that barbarian law of the wild, who is capable of extreme violence and rage, but who has created his own code and operates from within it."
Of course, no word yet on when this might shoot, but Arnie seems to have a particular desire to revisit the past — and considering "nothing" is happening with "Terminator 5" at the moment, suiting up to play Conan again is probably the next best thing. Of course, whether or not anybody outside of die hard fans want to see a nearly 70-year-old Arnie swing a sword is anybody's guess, but everyone involved thinks so. The aim right now is for a summer 2014 release, which means this may shoot as early as next year (though a script still needs to be written and that seems a bit optimistic). But will those Conan fans come out when they ignored the franchise last time? Time well tell.
I grew up watching Arnold's Conan movies with my father so I am a huge fan. I was hesitant to watch the new Conan but, when I did, I loved it. Jason Momoa did an amazing job and I loved his style and how well he fit the role. It's kind of pissing me off that Jason wont be in the next one. He did a great job. These people have no idea what they're talking about.
The very first Howard Conan story was "Phoenix on the Sword", in which a 45-ish Conan sits on the throne of Aquilonia. Sure, Arnold can't play a young "Thing in the Crypt" or "Black Collossus" Conan, but early middle age ("Hour of the Dragon"?) is not too great a stretch.
The answer to the problem is somewhere in meeting half way. The quality of the Momoa Conan is obviously better, but it fails because it's too pretty. What I mean by that is that Conan is suppose to be brutal, grainy and violent, something that Arnold's Conan captures simply because of the time period. The rawness of Arnold's Conan is also found in the fact that he says nothing for a good part of the film, so when he finally opens his yap, the accent totally works. Whether this is something they did on purpose or its a cat, whatever, it works. I thought Momoa did an awesome Conan when he was playing his character in Game of Thrones…. WTF??? Khal Drogo is ruthless and would have been a perfect tone for the character… maybe a little lighter? But not too much.
Regardless, these Hollywood cats are programmed to go back to old sh&t. THat's the nature of the beast. They know that on some bored level of existence, we will be watching it just because.
Legend of Conan????
I'll watch it… I mean, I like the original Arnold Conan, and I also have a good place in my movie watching to look at the new Conan…. The sorcery… NICE!!!! I just wish it had a grainier look 😛
Regardless, I'm expecting Legend of Conan to be slapped together with 80's cheese and beyond future CGI….. Oh well…. I'm gonna go watch Conan not break eggs in his mouth 😉
Oh yeah,
RJE
That sucks for Jason, as he tried his best but the script sucked for him. I like Arnie but watching a old geezer get the girl and kick every ones butt, I don't know!!!
It's a shame Jason will not get another chance with a better script.
@SEAN What's plainly obvious that you are in the minority. Momoa was horrible and I can't wait for Arnie to return as the barbarian that made him famous and audiences loved!
It is plainly obvious Jason Momoa is a better Conan and the only reason some are happy for Arnold's return is because they are lost in the 80's. The first movie he did was good but the second was terrible. Arnold didn't make a good Conan, the director and supporting cast and music is what made Conan the Barbarian great, not Arnold. JM, if you have read the books and followed decades of comics you would know he is a clearly superior Conan. I'm not a Momoa fan per say but I am a die hard Conan fan and have been for more than 30 years and I think he finally did the character justice.
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, give me break. What's all this Jason can act junk? I love how people are experts on what Conan should look like. Agent Fury is white in the comic books, Samuel L. Jackson is black, so what? It's about how a person exudes the character, Arnold did that Conan. Jason was nothing but a frat boy looking for some boobs. Don't tell us what Conan SHOULD look like, the public decides which Conan they like better. Guess what Jason crotch riders, the public has spoken, get over it. Jason was and never will be Conan.
@SCY385 and Graham – – I totally agree Jason did an awesome job and he was a better portrayal of what Conan should look like not a steroid up Arnold. Conan was describe in the book has being tall (Jason is 6â5) with muscular angular physic and fast again Jason. This is what Jason was and Arnold is not, also Jason can act. I'm not sure why the movie failed I know when Hurricane Irene blew in on the East Coast and that hurt movie sales. I'm not interested is seeing 65 years old cheating lying Arnold back in this role. I will not be watching this movie at all…no Jason…then no thank you.
I feel the need to say this. The 2011 Conan was not the greatest of films, but Jason Momoa was great in it. The script and story could have been better, but Momoa did the best he could with what he had. I found him to be a closer modern representation of Conan than Arnold ever was. Arnold had the body that Hollywood felt Conan should have, but I didn't understand a word he said. I think Mr. Momoa did a great job with a poorly written movie. AND it is a little too late for Arnold to be making a sequel to a movie he did 30 years ago. The only good thing is that his English has improved and audiences can better understand the laughable dialogue he is sure to have to say.
Oh god. This is a nightmare. Conan the Barbarian was a good film, not great, one of the best things about it was that Arnie barely had a speaking role so he couldn't ham it up with his terrible dialogue. I won't even get into the abomination that is Destroyer.
It is a classic of 80's film but in no way does it do justice to the original stories. Too many people with rose colored glasses on concerning Arnold and his movies. He's way too old and so are half the people involved in Barbarian.
Jason Momoa should have been given another chance as he was a much better representation of Howard's Conan. A better director and script are needed don't get me wrong but I think Arnie needs to get his haggard old ego out of the way so Conan can get a new better start than he can ever hope to give it. King Conan with Arnie should have been made in the mid 90's 2012 is much much too late.
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. It's like all my dreams are coming true.
Now just please, PLEASE get Milius back.
awesome!
I'd love to see Grace Jones back… in that also.. she was in Conan the Destroyer.. its been a longgggggggg time since I've seen that movie…
John Milius.
KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON.
Awesome. Now get Milius back.