Original Script

i'm searching the script for conan - the barbarian (movie).

can any1 help?

thx, ermi from germany

http://www.kein-plan.de
email: conan [AT] kein-plan.de

As far as I know, no draft is currently available for free direct download on the net... Try eBay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/CONAN-THE-BARBARIAN-MOVIE-SCRIPT-SIGNED-BY-ARNOLD

This sell was in fact Oliver Stone's first script.

Are you sure about that? The front cover seemed to read "Writing credits: John Milius" (+ another name I can't figure out)... Did you ask the seller about it?

I bought it
The second name on the cover says "Robert E. Howard".

Chrysagon

Once, I've had the chance to buy an original, filed in june 1980. Two years ago, there were several on eBay (three in the same time, if I remember well) and now nothing more except copies.

Just out of curiosity, are the dates of all the different drafts of the " Conan The Barbarian " movie script known ?

I think MightymcT had some kinda list at one point.

May 9, 1977 - Ed Summer/Roy Thomas Treatment - 1st draft (revised) - 77 pages

August 1, 1978 - Oliver Stone - 1st draft - 141 pages

[1979?] - John Milius - 1st draft - 132 pages

[June 1980? October 20, 1980? November 1980?] - John Milius - 2nd draft - 119 pages

March 31, 1981 - John Milius - 3rd draft - 120 pages


Milius may also have written a fourth draft...

Thanks. Any idea where I could find the Summer/Thomas draft ?

So which edition/draft has the movie's cut scenes still included? I'm looking at a third draft edition, but I'm concerned it will just be an exact copy of the movie with no extra info. I'm really looking for more info about things left out of the final shooting or cut. Lions, tower monsters, girls stabbing themselves to proove a point... all that stuff. I want to find that script.

Milius' phantom 1st Draft either was a rough treatment which wouldve cost too much to film, or a maybe even collaborative abortive script with Oliver Stone's version(s). Its hard to get any info of this version, which supposedly had huge battles, rather like Stone's.

All you need however, is the 2nd or 3rd Draft, because thats Milius' complete movie, cut scenes and all. Main difference between the scripts is that in the 2nd Draft , the movie ends with just Conan slaying Doom at the Tower (like the USA released print), while the 3rd Draft features both Conan and Yasmina at the Mountain of Power (like seen on the SE DVD or Euro versions). Also Brak/Borg's name by the 3rd Draft was replaced with Rexor.

Thorgrim must've of been a late edition on the set as Milius never included this character's name in any of the known scripts.

Its funny to think now, but He dosen't even get one line. Rexor at least got a, "Kill them", and "Kill that one first". You would have thought they could have split the difference.

Parts of Brak/Rexor were broken up and included into the formation of Thorgrim on screen. Thorgrim has some similarity to a nameless and unimportant Neanderthal brute which dies at the Mounds in the scripts.

Thorgrim was a silent dumb brute in the movie, very child-like in the mind. Both Milius and especially Arnold were making fun of the character on the Commentary on the SE DVD in fact.

I actually liked the character of Brak, rather than the finished Rexor. Brak's main weapon was a lance btw. Brak was more like General Kael from WILLOW, extremely powerful and well trained. I assume the loss of Lou Forrigno, Milius first choice for the part, and lack of good make-up effects, lead Milius to completely redesigning the character(s).

I have the ability to scan large numbers of pages into pdf files now, so I'm thinking of ordering a 4draft copy and making a digital copy of it. I also found a copy of the oliver stone version "suposedly", but i think I'll stick to the fourth draft. Because i know the one I'd get off ebay would be a copy of a copy... what kind of copyrights are being broken by the seller? Would I also have the same issues if I made a pdf?

Do you mean the 3rd draft? Not aware of a 4th Draft.

Yea, sorry I'm kind of out of it right now. I got a response from the seller, and he said he could "print it out anyway i want it" when I asked for no hole punching, so I know he has a didgital copy he is redistributing.

Cromulus, when was Brak called Borg? In some Milius' draft?

Flaming Turd wrote:

Cromulus, when was Brak called Borg? In some Milius' draft?

No idea, this came from the British Questar magazine in summer of 1980 or 1981 or such, so had to have been between the 2nd and 3rd Drafts.

According to a recent find by MightymcT, the first draft was only 2 pages longer than the 2nd Draft. I am just postualting here now, but thats not very drastic, a 1-2 page difference isnt very exciting. As it couldve been just been omitted bits which is seen in the 2nd Draft. Although granted of course the entire storyline couldve been different or certain things played out differently.

I wouldve love to see Summers script.

If I'm not wrong, in the audio movie adaptation LP, the sidekicks of Doom are YARO and REXOR... Were they together in the 3rd draft???


Cromulus, was YARO in the 2nd draft or there was only BRAK? When did YARO appeared?


Also, was BRAK in the 1st and 2nd drafts described by Milius as a Beast-man, like in Stone's script? What about REXOR in the 3rd, was he human?

Brak's name was just changed to Rexor. He was more muscular and taller than Conan and of darker hue. Not so much a neandethal, just a massive mascular warrior and brute which basically man handled Conan at the Mounds and snapped the neck of the leopard which was to have attacked him. He was a lance wielder primarily, like in the Stout art.

Maybe some pics would be in order...

Thanks, what about Yaro?



Oh, what Stout art you mean? Don't remember any Brak art

Cobb did a concept piece which i scanned for this forum and is in the gallery, and Brak I assume was the leader of the evil warriors in Stout's graphic storyboard/comic version of the script.

No known picture of Yaro exist as far as i know, he was a Priest and suppose have been Negroid, while Thulsa Doom was Caucasoid in all versions of the script.

That one, I guess right?





Sorry, but can you put a link to that Cobb scan of yours, please? Right now I am lost.




This is Yaro by John Buscema...





Also I think Yaro was drawn by Stout in the Mountain of Power sketches, in the entrance -where the dragons sculptures-.



Was Yaro in the 1st draft? He surely was in the 2 nd and 3rd, right?

Yep!

Here's the Cobb:


Was described in the scripts as wearing some kinda Mongolian-like helmet, but neither Helmet looks very Mongolian like, although in that Cobb concept piece the Persian, Turkic and Mongol influence is appearent.

One of the Ben Davidson as Rexor pieces shown on the DVD I think showed a more Mongolian like design or wearing one of the Vanir Turkoman helms-- well the Vanir looked more Hunnic/Turkic or Mongolian than Viking in the film anyhow.

Interesting in this one

http://www.conancompletist.com/img/photos/A9/conanA913.jpg

Rexor is seen using a short sword rather like Stouts above..also this Brak/Rexor version is more beastly looking in the face than normal human.