Arnie set to do KING CONAN 2013?

According to thearnoldfans Arnie has been talking up doing King Conan after he has finished his next movie "Ten". I myself asked him TODAY at the signing of his new book in Picadilly London if he was going to do King Conan. He signed the book, handed it to me and said "Thanks". You heard it here first!

Really! I read the news on TheArnoldFans sight and FB. I was really gutted and saddened i could not go to the singing. I don't live in London now i am in south Wales and he didn't give the info in time for me to make the journey. Really pissed about it as he posted ALL the US dates before hand so why did we get it the day before? I still love to see hum make King Conan but it won't be the same now John can't direct it.

Hey Nial rest assured it would probably not been worth your effort in getting there. I qued from 7am for three and a half hours. I was 215 of a 250 capacity cut off point allowed into Waterstones. He was not signing any memorabilia, only the book and only his name. He was handed the book by an assistant and he scrawled his name and slid it to one side where you picked it up and he looks up at you and says "Thank you". Then security thank you for coming and your ass is booted out the door. I had the foresight to see what was going on (even above the pumping music they were blaring out to make things appear ever so exciting) and wasn't dazed by this. I managed to lean over and ask him about King Conan where, head down and scrawling away, he just ignored me. I said "Arnold are you going to do King Conan?" When he lifted his head up and slid the book across to me I smiled and said- "Do King Conan it will be great!" and stuck my thumbs up. Then I took the book. I wish he would have said -"Fuck you asshole." But, in another way that reminded me of the Terminator, he just as expressionlessly said "Thank you" and smiled before turning to recieve the next book sliding his way. Not as cool as meeting Sandahl Bergman. That is still my Conan highlight of being a fan for 30 years this year. But hey, it's Arnhuld! I got what I expected.

Hey Othnar.Nice to officially say hello. Wow that does sound like a rush job. I had read from a few guys in the US who were a bit pissed at this same very non personal meeting. Especially from one guy who travelled a long way for hours to be in and out in seconds. So was there a huge crowd already by 7am if you were no 215 of 250?. Man i guess there was a few disappointed folks. I think even i didn't have any illusions on what this was going to be like but hey like you i've been a fan for 30 years (we are showing our ages now lol!) so. You know what i was equally gutted to have missed Sandahl. I found out like 3/4 days after she'd been here. That was Milton Keynes right? I am pretty good friend with Pillar Alcon. She is a jewel really a delightful woman.

Can't believe he totally ignored your question to. I know there are a lot of people to see but it takes a moment. No handshake? I was at least expecting that.

Well its cool you said something like that, I think the Arnold and Conan fans that enjoyed the movies and books would appreciate that as much as you do. As for Arnold, I like the man as a "movie star" I consider myself a fan, but I'm not a fanatic. The guy I think is very strange and no doubt success and power went to his head as he was always a ego maniac and I think always wants to be dominate in every situation and doesnt like other dominate men unless he respects them. It seems he likely would not give you anymore since you're a nobody you're just another fella paying him for a signing to make him more money and Arnold is first a business man. I hear alotve the stars are like that at conventions although you get a few that are really human and down to earth without any utlerior motives and perhaps they themselves are fans or enjoy doing what they're doing and its not just another gig.

I do hope he'll make CONAN III, but he's aged quite alot, and it wouldnt be the same if he wasnt like how he was in CONAN I & II, he needs that kinda vitality and charisma back, plus he has to be the star. I read the script to King Conan Crown of Iron, while it wasnt bad, it wasnt as enjoyable as CTB was or even CTD scripts. Milius, if he's still involved would I think need to make a more charismatic script and one that which isnt a passing of the torch filled with lots of supporting actors and characters nobody really cares about. Also sadly Basil Poledouris passed away and even Mako, if the soundtrack isnt as stellar as CTB's then the movie will suffer and not feel the same.

As a huge supporter of CTB and a Arnold fan, I do hope he's seriously interested in making CONAN III and his heart is in it, and where its not a T3 fiasco.

Well i am something of a really big Arnold and Conan fan and so i was real sad to to be able to make it to the signing. But i also had no real illusion as to what it would be. Just as Othnar described it. For sure Arnold is the same guy he was when starting out and when you become as big as he is and start taking private jets everywhere and distancing yourself from the fans and public well that's how it is. I will always be a huge fan. I think he could have had the courtesy to acknowledge the question though.

As for the film i really hope he does it. Again though i am under no illusion it will never be as the original was. No Basil or Mako. No John's health is not good and he can no longer direct it. Well we'll have to see. Just a shame he (Arnold) went into office before they could get together and make it how it should have been. I haven't read the script. Someone here posted it but the link didn't work for me.

While I did feel a little depressed and deflated I later thought - how many times is he asked such questions? Can he really say for sure at this point anyhow? The point was to let him know that he still has a lot of people who love him as Conan and would love to see him return. I'm grateful I had the chance to be able to look him in the eye and tell him how much I love the guy as my fave literary character! He is his own man- he owes me nothing after all!
Both you guys are right- a lot has changed since the original script was written. No Mako (who had a pivotal role ) and no Basil Poledouris. The script needed revising in places but for it's faults I enjoyed it. I am guessing they may well go with a brand new one. If so I hope Milius at least has a hand in it. Nial if you can give me your e-mail adress I might be able to send you the KING CONAN script from my file- I'm not sure if I can do it but hell we'll work something out if I have to print and send you a copy myself!

Well said Othnar. Had i been able to go to the signing i know i would have been happy to just see him walk in the door,i'm that kind of fan you know. When you've loved the film and him as we have since young boys how can you not. He is a real action hero to guys of our generation. We also have to remember if he spent a lot of time chatiting more folks would walk away disappointed. I am really really happy for you Othnar. I hope my day to will come.

I am glad you let him know for all of us. I was going to say/ask the same thing had i seen him and well the more he hears it the more chance he;ll make it. Not having read the script i can't say much but losing both Mako and Basil are mighty blows. I was John's input will be small i'm afraid as he suffered a stroke not long ago.
Othnar thank you very much for that script offer. I send you a private message with my email address. I;d really love to read that thanks. Also i recall you saying you had some issues with your Atlantean sword? If you do want another or a Windlass i know a couple od dealers in Europe to avoid the vat and import tax.

If they make Conan 3 that would be great news.

I hope John BloomField gets the job as costume designer . He did A great job on Conan 1 & 2.

It would be nice to have some of the cast of Conan 1 & 2 back for cameos like Sandahl Bergman, Gerry Lopez, Sarah Douglas and Olivia D' Abo etc.

It would be great if Universal would release extended cuts of Conan 1 & 2 and Red Sonja to cash in on the release of King Conan.
It would be great to have the Adventures of Conan Universal Studios live show as A blu-Ray Extra and some deleted scenes from all the movies etc.

This Video I posted earlier would make A great extra on A blu -ray http://www.zimbio.com/watch/UAj-pXLwoL1/Crush+Enemies+Conan+Barbarian+Rewind/Entertainment+Tonight

For any wishing to read various incanations of the Milius script as well as his first draft of KING CONAN I have found this download site available. Down side is you have to pay.
http://www.lulu.com/shop/john-milius/conan-the-barbarian-2nd-draft-script/ebook/product-4627383.html

Thanks for the link Othnar.

Nerd Alert i'd love to see some of the past actors return for cameos etc and more than anything i love extended directors cuts of both past films. I know for sure when i saw Destroyer at the cinema it had scenes now cut. Even small parts from scenes that i can;t imagine a reason for them being cut are edited out.. That video is pretty cool. King Osric's murder would be great to include in a cut.

Fantastic, excellent !!!

http://omelete.uol.com.br/conan/cinema/arnold-schwarzenegger-vai-estrelar-legend-conan/

Yea its official but no John Milius:

Quote :

With big, fluffy alien ALF making a comeback, it makes sense another gets his spotlight turned back on too.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is – after years of rumours that his kindergarten-induced tumour may have resided long-enough for him to reprise the iconic role – masking his spider veins to play Conan the Barbarian in a third film. Universal house the project, which in-house writer-producer Chris Morgan (of the “Fast & Furious” films) is shepherding.

Schwarzenegger, seemingly intent on pushing himself physically until his head explodes (echoing “get ready for a surprise!” in the direction of his doctors), is excited at the prospect of handling a big sword again.

Producer and rights holder Fredrik Malmberg tells Deadline, “The original ended with Arnold on the throne as a seasoned warrior, and this is the take of the film we will make. It’s that Nordic Viking mythic guy who has played the role of king, warrior, soldier and mercenary, and who has bedded more women than anyone, nearing the last cycle of his life. He knows he’ll be going to Valhalla, and wants to go out with a good battle.”

“After the original seminal movie, all that came after looked silly to me,” Morgan said. “Robert E. Howard’s mythology and some great philosophy from Nietzsche to Atilla the Hun was layered in the original film. People say, he didn’t speak for the first 20 minutes of the film, but that was calculated in depicting this man who takes control of life with his own hand. 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.”

While it has been decided John Milius will be kicked to the curb for this installment, what hasn’t been decided upon is whether the new film will keep the hard R-rated tone of Milius’s “Conan the Barbarian”.

“I loved the choices they made in that film,” Morgan said. “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. By the end of that film, Conan became a certain character, and this film picks him up there, as he faces different challenges that include dealing with age.”

Schwarzenegger, who is seemingly skipping “Terminator 5″ in favour of “The Legend of Conan” (yup, that’s the title), says “I always loved the Conan character and I’m honored to be asked to step into the role once again. I can’t wait to work with Universal and the great team of Fredrik Malmberg and Chris Morgan to develop the next step of this truly epic story.”

Meanwhile, Fbook (no, the other one – the one without the pop ups) has published the first pic of a newly redesigned T-800 as he appears in David Ayer’s “Ten”.

http://moviehole.net/201259134holy-grace-jones-schwarzeneggers-doing-conan-3-for-real

Here is my synopsis for the new KING CONAN movie. I will call it "KING CONAN - THE LEGEND".
King Conan is bored, jaded and depressed. He drinks too much and is surrounded by sychophants and hangers on. One day on a hunting trip he has an accident and becomes seperated from his retainers. He wanders into the forest following a wolf. On a hill the wolf transforms into an old woman. The clouds are overcast and brooding. The woman's name is Zelata (HOUR OF THE DRAGON). She warns of the passing of the gods-the dawn of a new age- great battles to come. Raising her arms her cloak falls from her. A raven flies into the sky from whence she stood. She is the manifestation of the Morrigan from Celtic myth ( CUCHULAIN ).
Wars threaten the land. Conan is unprepared but must meet this threat. On the battlefield he is a shadow of his former self- old and out of shape. He is saved by a mighty soldier ( Lou Ferrigno! ). Conan makes him commander of his personal bodyguard. They become fast friends. One night Conan in a drunken melancholy makes his way, torch in hand, down to the crypts of his palace. Brushing away the cobwebs of an iron bound set of doors he forces his way in. Hanging in the shadows on the wall is the Atlantean sword. He takes it down-feeling it's grip, remembering his past glories...He begins training himself in secret. He stops drinking. Montage scenes of him wielding the sword and working his body, interspliced with shots of him brooding on the throne before the monotous duties of the court.
Meanwhile his enemies have infiltrated the kingdom. They have got to various high up patriarchs of the court, including the captain of the guard ( Ferrigno ) who has a secret past they mean to exploit. A plot is hatched to kill the king in his bedchambers. On the night of the deed Conan is alone in his chambers. He dreams... He is walking through fog and mist into a cheerless realm. He is naked. He comes to a set of stone steps which he climbs. At the top stands a shadowed figure. "Crom?" he gasps. " Not Crom, you fool!" The mists part. It is the wizard ( Mako ) standing there. He warns Conan of the doom approaching his chambers and to beware that men you trust can also be snakes -or has he forgotten? He makes a fiery sign in the air and Conan is falling down through the mist. He wakes in his chamber. The conspirators rush in and halt. Conan fully armed is standing before them crown in hand, axe in the other. "You want dis?" he says and lifts the crown. Casually he tosses it to the floor and raises the axe. "Den rush in and die dogs. I was a man before I was king!" ( THE PHOENIX ON THE SWORD ). Conan cuts down his foes but is wounded.
War is declared anew.
King Conan unites his kingdom. Zelata in various guises manipulates Conan and his foes alike. It is unclear whether she is friend, foe or working to serve a higher purpose. As the final battle draws nigh it is becoming clear ( to us the audience ) that this is Ragnorak of myth and legend-the twilight of the gods.
The final battle. Rain. Horses. Armour. Storm tossed skies. Fast sweeping rivers. Atop a darkened hill the last remnants are gathered for the last sortee. Surrounded by friends Conan sets his back to an ancient rune carved rock and makes an empassioned speech. Then the battle is joined...The camera pulls away slowly from the carnage. Across the sky come the Valkyries in their armour and astride their horses. They sweep up the fallen slain. The skies are dark and heavy with clouds. Rain lashes the heavens.The music swells-male and female choirs building in unison to a thunderous crescendo. Then the Valkyries are gone. Atop the hill there is only the broken cairn where King Conan had set his back and the heaped slain of his foes. Zelata in the form of a raven sits atop the cairn. Then on lazy wings she climbs into the sky-grows and vanishes.... Below the sight is witnessed by a lonely priest of Asura standing in the mud. "And so is the passing of kings...aye, and more of kings for this is the passing of the gods.." ( THE GREY GOD PASSES ). He stumbles away, bloodied and bruised. He is surrounded by the dead. He staggers down to a rocky shore. There he sees a lone man preparing to push a fishing boat out into the crashing waves. The priest looks up and sees the sinking sun turn the sky and sea a deep red. "Even the sky and sea turn the colour of blood!" he cries out," Oh, merciful Asura- when will the killing cease?" The man turns a bearded, scarred face too him "Not so long as this race lasts." he replies. Then, with a heave of mighty shoulders, Conan ( for it is he ) pushes the boat out into the waves and is sailing into the orb of the bloody sun ( THE DARK MAN ). In the foreground the priest sinks slowly to his knees on the rocky shore.
THE END.

Pretty good storyline mate. Couple of things ,one Mako is no more so if Akiro were to be in the story it's have to be a different actor. And i am not sure Lou F would be a great choice. One one hand he may be great or looking at past performances terrible. Also i'd like this one to be in the same vain as the first. Very little dialogue and sorcery.I like that still he cannot trust thoe about him and i'd like him to just wonder off in the wilds after the last great battle.

Milius actually wanted to cast Lou Ferrigno as Brak(early script version of what would become Rexor and Thorgrim), but Arnold's ego wouldnt allow it. That wouldve been an awesome battle on screen.

Thanks for sharing that info Cromulus! The part of Brak seems written for Ferrigno now you mention it...
I have heard rumour from the arnold fans that there may be a role in the movie for Ralf Moeller. I wrote a part for him in my version. Here it is-
Supporting cast for "KING CONAN - THE LEGEND".
BRUUNA - (Ralf Moeller)
Bruuna -originally from Gunderland- is a retired chariot racing champion. He lives in a villa on the outskirts of Tarantia where he resides comfortabely on the fortunes of his past. Conan comes to him for help when he first starts training again. They are known to each other from the days when Conan was general of the Aquilonian army. Conan has always respected and admired Bruuna- his skills with the chariot in the arena. They are rivals of a sort but not deadly ones. At first Bruuna has misgivings about training and helping Conan. Although he admires his war like past he disagrees with a lot of his policies as king. However, he gradually and begrudgingly warms to Conan's determination to do the right thing by Aquilonia. One day, during a heated argument, Bruuna tells Conan to go out amongst the people if he really wants to know what is going on in the kingdom and what the populance think of him. Revitalized by this challenge, Conan takes his advse- shaves, changes clothes and goes out among the people in disguise. He has minor adventures that relate to the greater plot.
During the final battle Bruuna is driver of the chariot that he, and King Conan, use to chase the puppet villain up a steep and treachorous mountain terrain. As arrows fly from the chased war-chariot Conan is kept busy casting spears. He skewers the archer firing at them and then kills the Stygian driver. The chariot crashes. So to does Conan and Bruuna's chariot, breaking a wheel when it hits a boulder and over turns. Crawling out from the wreckage Conan limps up the mountian, axe in hand to administer his vengeance as Bruuna goes back down the mountain side to face the oncoming pursuit. Vastly out numbered he dies in battle before Pallantides and his Black Dragons can get to them...
Meanwhile further up, Conan finds the villain kneeling before him in the dust- bloodied, laughing insanely and taunting "the black hearted savage who was a slave". Conan chops the axe down into the ground at his side. Then, with one hand, strangles the villain- breaking his neck. The Black Dragons win through and, climbing the mountain, they prepare for the last stand as storm clouds gather and rain begins to fall...

Well I think you guys can thank my friend for the decision on the release. He and I were attempting to bring the Robert E. Howard Conan to film and he was in the process of setting up a deal between his partners and Universal. We wonder if our interest in the rights didn't spark a fire with Universal and Paradox. We were hoping if they were not going to use the name, after the Momoa bomb, that we could grab it and bring the real Conan to the screen. We had tons of work in the deal and now are stuck as we can not even compete with Arnold. What really makes me upset is the fact that the film, we all love, from 82 is not REH's Conan. It is Milius' Conan and that is going to continue with this new director and producer. We had hoped to do the character justice and show people the real Conan. So we have shifted gears to another project and will bid our time to see what happens with this new Conan. I loved the 82 film but always felt they should have named it something else and left Conan to someone who really knew and understood Howard's character and what he was trying to show his readers with the Conan series. Sadly Milius (though very talented and made a great film) lost sight of what REH had created. I also think that they were premature with the release as was the old LOTR cartoons. Great idea but just didn't have the tools to pull it off in order to stay true to the character. So I guess we set back, see what happens, lurk in the shadows and hope an opportunity comes our way! And to all the REH fans, we are not giving up, so hang in there. Robert E. Howard was one of the best writers of great fiction and deserves to have his work shared with the masses. The politics surrounding his work is just mind blowing. They are setting on a real gold mine and just don't realize it's full potential.

bladesmith wrote:

Well I think you guys can thank my friend for the decision on the release. He and I were attempting to bring the Robert E. Howard Conan to film and he was in the process of setting up a deal between his partners and Universal. We wonder if our interest in the rights didn't spark a fire with Universal and Paradox. We were hoping if they were not going to use the name, after the Momoa bomb, that we could grab it and bring the real Conan to the screen. We had tons of work in the deal and now are stuck as we can not even compete with Arnold. What really makes me upset is the fact that the film, we all love, from 82 is not REH's Conan. It is Milius' Conan and that is going to continue with this new director and producer. We had hoped to do the character justice and show people the real Conan. So we have shifted gears to another project and will bid our time to see what happens with this new Conan. I loved the 82 film but always felt they should have named it something else and left Conan to someone who really knew and understood Howard's character and what he was trying to show his readers with the Conan series. Sadly Milius (though very talented and made a great film) lost sight of what REH had created. I also think that they were premature with the release as was the old LOTR cartoons. Great idea but just didn't have the tools to pull it off in order to stay true to the character. So I guess we set back, see what happens, lurk in the shadows and hope an opportunity comes our way! And to all the REH fans, we are not giving up, so hang in there. Robert E. Howard was one of the best writers of great fiction and deserves to have his work shared with the masses. The politics surrounding his work is just mind blowing. They are setting on a real gold mine and just don't realize it's full potential.

Honestly I think that the Milius Version is the only worth , He improved the character , while the REH version probably could have been more similar to the 2011 movie flop ...
I am glad that Milius did the first Conan , but I actually would have hoped that he could do the new Conan Legend ...

Btw why he is not directing it?

Prometheus wrote:

Btw why he is not directing it?

Probably simply cause the Universal don't want him. For whatever reason (maybe they find him too uncommercial today, or whatever). And if the studios own the Conan rights at this moment, Milius cannot do a thing by his own.

I totally ignore if Milius at some point contacted the Universal to offer himself as director of this... or if he is just not interested (if it's not his own screenplay he probably wouldn't want to direct it, it's a rule of him).

And who knows if at some point, Arnold didn't mentioned Milius to the Universal... Or if Arnold directly ignored him and took the project as it was presented, without any objection.

We simply don't know.

We should ask Milius.

Milius improved REH's Conan? Have you read the entire set of books by REH? The new film didn't even come close to the real Conan! I have been reading the original Conan stories for over 20 years and know the character inside and out. I think the confusion with Conan is all of the later works by other writers, comic books, people who have not read the books and garnish information from others, etc. If the real Conan would have been like the new film he would not have become the huge character that he did. For those who care to learn the real Conan you can still buy the Conan collection on Ebay for around $40. It is a hard cover that contains only REH's writings. Read it and see how you feel about the movies. Don't forget that REH's Conan is what started the whole sword and sorcery wave anyhow.

I like the 82 film but Arnold was no Conan by any stretch of the imagination. He said what, 5 words in the whole film? He protrayed a slow witted gorilla and that was not Conan. The real Conan was a brilliant strategist and could read and speak many languages. He laughed and was more open than Milius' character and was not a follower by any means. Milius was protraying Conan as a child like figure when in fact he fought his first battle at the age of 15. He never pushed the wheel of pain (which would not have put that kind of muscle on him anyway), was not trained by some sword master and never fought in pits. Though his father was a blacksmith. And his people were not wiped off the face of the earth! Conan returned home many times during his life. He was a free roaming adventurer who was naturally talented with the sword and was a physical power house (due to growing up in the hard hill country of Cimmeria) that could endure days without water or food. I used to body build and can tell you that someone with Arnold's physique could never endure the life Conan had to lead. I had to eat 8 times a day just to keep up with what my body needed. I have lived life abroad and can assure you, from experience, that a dependence on a constant food supply is impossible more times than not!

The cover art of the paperback releases was fantasy art and ruined the real vision of what REH thought Conan looked like. Thus we end up with Arnold protraying Conan. I have seen a few true to REH's vision works of art that captured Conan as he would have been. But they are far and few between. I really like the 82 film but become a bit upset when it is mentioned that Milius improved on REH's work. That in itself is a slap in the face of the man who created Conan in the first place. As you can tell I am very passionate about this topic. I am a writer also and hate when an editor "fixes" my work. If the editor wanted to be a writer then they should have followed that road themselves and not attempted to make it big riding on my shoulders. Milius should have stuck with the original story and he would have made millions and had numerous sequels as was his intention in the first place. But instead we ended up with Conan the Destroyer. The 82 film would have been better off being called something else entirely if he wanted to make his own character.

Milius only followed in the foot steps of Decamp and Carter (editors who thought they were writers and rode on REH's back to make a living). No doubt he is a very talented film maker but he did break that sacred trust of stealing someone else's work just as Decamp and Carter did. If you read the two books they wrote for the end of the series you will see the contradictions immediately. I have spent my life reading REH's Conan, Kull, Soloman Kane, etc. and my father was also a long time reader of his works. So not to sound arrogant, but I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on REH and his work. I have had a conversation with FT on this and he knows how I feel and what I am doing to change the public's whole view of Conan. You are welcome to read what we discussed (post of the Conan that should have been). But of course this is just my opinion and you can take it as you like!

John Milius suffered a serious stroke not so long ago and is only just recovering. Apparently he has only recently started being able to speak again. Yes, it is a damn shame -as this is his baby after all. Although it may be too much to hope for it would be great if he had some input still. Some cool lines of dialogue for King Conan as he addreses his men before the final battle or something. I can imagine Arnie delivering an empassioned mononlogue about how gods and men aren't worth a damn when it comes to saving your sorry ass. It's up to you and the strength of your own steel hardened sword arm to win the day-by Crom!

Bladesmith, you're totally right.

Milius didn't improve REH's Conan. It's Milius his version of the REH's Conan, with two or three implied references to the original character (Conan on the tree of woe, the thing in the crypt and so on). And in fact, as you said, it's not really Conan, it's more a fantasy-adventure-viking movie with a lot of violence (blood and beheadings) and an interesting philosophical background. A movie about strength, will and vengeance. A movie with deep quotes like the speech of King Osric (There comes a time thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, etc...). A true masterpiece ! But you're right, it should have been called something else, like "Kothar the warrior" or something like that.

Personally, I don't like REH's Conan stories, it's boring and not so well-written (I much prefer the Thongor saga written by Lin Carter). Nevertheless, I do like the El Borak and Salomon Kane stories, and the Black Vulmea adventures too. But more than anything else, I'm a big fan of his horror short stories. He was clearly a Master in gothic fiction !

Othnar wrote:

John Milius suffered a serious stroke not so long ago and is only just recovering. Apparently he has only recently started being able to speak again.

Damn, didn't know about that! Have you read that somewhere?

King Sven wrote:

Bladesmith, you're totally right.

Milius didn't improve REH's Conan. It's Milius his version of the REH's Conan, with two or three implied references to the original character (Conan on the tree of woe, the thing in the crypt and so on). And in fact, as you said, it's not really Conan, it's more a fantasy-adventure-viking movie with a lot of violence (blood and beheadings) and an interesting philosophical background.

I totally agree on that too.

No true REH's Conan has ever been made into film. I am still wondring if that's still possible somehow because in the end every filmaker is an author on his own and will always do something DIFFERENT than what Howard had in mind. Even the scolars of REH make their own personal interpretation of his work, no matter how objectively they think they are, simply because REH is not there to endorse the interpretation. Maybe the only TRUE faithful REH's Conan movie would be made if he was alive to endorse the script, treatment and actors. And that will never ever happen.

Who knows if REH would endorse Frazetta's or Marvel's incarnation of Conan? Cause in the end that's THE Conan "look" we have today. He might have endorse it, or he may not... WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE and try to find clues on his writtings, wich is quite ok, but noone has the right to speak for the man himself since he simply is not here and never will be. Am I wrong?

So in the end maybe it's just all bullshit when anybody claims to have "the most faithful to REH movie adaptation". Under what criteria? REH's not there to say "yes, it is", people only have their love and admiration and respect to REH to claim that, and in the end that's not truly objective.

So, hey, LETS MOVE ON and accept the TRUE REH'S CONAN is just in the books he wrote. And beyond that, everything, EVERYTHING, will be "another guy's interpretation of Conan".

And maybe that "other guy's interpretation" is totally in line with what YOU also interprete REH had written, but maybe its not. It will depend if the filmaker thinks the same as you do.

Because no one, no one in this world -not even Novalyne Price or the hugest REH scolar- will ever know what REH really had in mind. Each person will only get (or think they get) some pieces of it. And I totally think Milius did took something very true and deep from REH's soul and gave it a form wich, yes, was different from the forms REH used.

But some people (me included) may think it's more important to catch the SOUL of REH better than just "imitating" the external forms and surfaces, wich may "look" more faithful to him, but in the end may lack the true deeper, primitive, extremely powerful content of his beautifully damned soul.

So go ahead, Bladesmith, and every people like you who passionately love this and have the steel balls to go into producing a movie. It will be YOUR interpretation of what you think REH had in mind, and if you do the best of you, it will surely connect at some level with REH's soul. Even if it's "imperfect" on its look, or somebody claims it's not truly 100% faithful to REH, well damn that! The important thing is you feeling in your heart REH WOULD LIKE THAT MOVIE, and that is something quite easy to know. I'm sure REH would have LOVE Milius' CTB as a movie even if he at the same time would have considered it not to be a faithful to his writtings.

I think this could be the sanest choice (doing a damn fine piece of movie wich would delight REH to his bones, wich I think is already a quite HUGE challenge), and going beyond that ambition I think is quite beyond human possibilities... simply cause The Man is dead.

F.T.-Arnold was talking about Miius' stroke on twitter with some guy who interviewed him for THE LAST STAND.
King Sven- The King Osric speech is taken from the opening lines of Howard's Kull story "THE MIRRORS OF TUZUN THUNE". I can't believe you find his Conan stories boring though! I personally always saw the movie as a good cinematic treatment. I do think it's Conan through and through. The themes and philosophies are all present. Sure there's some tinkering around with stuff but in those days you had to work around with what you had. Arnold made for a good brooding barbarian in my book. I think Howard would have approved or, at the very least, understood what Milius was trying to do.