Conan The Barbarian (2011)

[MacGuffin]

AICN EXCLUSIVE! By Crom! It Looks Like CONAN Has A Director!

Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here.

I'm in London, it's just after 8:14 in the morning, and I have to go shower and get ready to head to the set of KICK-ASS for today. All very last minute. But before I run out the door, there's an e-mail from a spy who makes a very persuasive case that there is indeed a director onboard now for the CONAN project that Lionsgate has been developing.

And if this is true, then my interest level just went through the floor. That's sort of incredible, too, because I'm a full-blown CONAN freak. When I met Howard McCain after the screening of OUTLANDER, he told me he'd just been hired with his writing partner to write CONAN for Lionsgate, and in talking with him, I could tell the material was in the right hands. He genuinely adores the Robert Howard stories, and it seemed like he had some big plans for how to structure the film.

And let's be clear... stop calling this a remake. They're not doing the Milius film. They're starting over from the original stories. So it's relly wrong to call this thing a remake at all. You won't be seeing the same story or even the same supporting characters. This is ground zero.

And now it appears to be official that Brett Ratner is directing the goddamn thing.

Oh, Brett... why do you want to hurt me? Why do you want to make this movie? Please, please, please tell me it's because you have a genuine passion for the material and not just because it's a start date and a financing package that's ready to go. Please tell me that you really care about the character and its history, and not that it's just "Hey, I recognize that name."

I'd love to be wrong about this. I don't think Ratner's a terrible shooter, and maybe this script is bulletproof.

I'd love to find out. Hint. Hint. Anyone who felt like putting a copy in my hands should feel free to do so.

In the meantime, I'm going to do my best to keep positive and pray that this is a good thing for the material and not a death sentence. I believe in CONAN... and I hope like hell that Ratner does, too.

[MacGuffin]

Brett Ratner circles 'Conan'
Gatta and Lerner of Millennium Films are producing
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Director Brett Ratner is in final negotiations to take on literature's most famous barbarian.

Over the past few weeks, Ratner has been considering signing on to direct a 21st century update of "Conan," co-produced by Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate Films, even as he pushes another high-profile project -- a fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise -- toward a greenlight at Paramount, where he recently set up shop.

While the "Conan" development deal puts the brawny brigand on Ratner's docket, "BHC IV" is still likely to go into production first.

Ratner jibed to the "Conan" script by Gersh-repped Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, who looked to Robert E. Howard's original pulp stories of the 1930s to create their take on the character. The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner's ideas, with an eye toward releasing the film in 2010.

Joe Gatta and Avi Lerner of Millennium Films are producing, along with Paradox Entertainment president and CEO Fredrik Malmberg.

Meanwhile, Paramount -- eyeing the successful fourth-installment resurrections of the long-dormant "Die Hard" and "Indiana Jones" franchises -- has been gunning to get Detroit's funniest cop back on the streets for a summer 2010 release with Ratner behind the camera. Much-wanted "Wanted" scribes Michael Brandt and Derek Haas have been working on the script so the filmmakers can take advantage of a small scheduling window open for perpetually working star Eddie Murphy.

As for "Conan," Millennium and Lionsgate are eyeing a potential franchise and envision a very R-rated approach in the $85 million budget range.

"The story opens on the battlefield where Conan is born and tells the origin story that sets the stage for what will be the first of multiple films," Lerner said. "This is a coup for Millennium Films and proves that our choice of projects and material is attracting much higher-profile directors and actors."

Oliver Stone and John Milius wrote the surly fictional thief's first screen incarnation, "Conan the Barbarian," which Milius also directed in 1982. A jokier, less blood-and-boob-heavy sequel, "Conan the Destroyer," destroyed the character's franchise chances in 1984 by aiming for a PG-13 rating.

Oppenheimer and Donnelly also wrote "Sahara" and "A Sound of Thunder," and they have "Airborn" in development at Universal, with Stephen Sommers attached to direct.

Ratner, repped by CAA, most recently directed "Rush Hour 3" and "X-Men: The Last Stand."

[MacGuffin]

EXCLUSIVE: Brett Ratner Says New 'Conan' Movie Is 'Not An Homage, Not A Remake'
Source: MTV

When last we heard from "X-Men: The Last Stand" director Brett Ratner, who had previously denied rumors he was attached to a big-screen "Conan" revamp, he was telling MTV News who he'd like to see take on the "Conan" role made famous by a certain Governor of California.

And for someone who, by his own admission, isn't officially attached to the new project featuring one of US President Barack Obama's all-time favorite comic book characters, Ratner certainly knows quite a bit about the new "Conan" movie — and it looks like "new" seems to be the key word there.

"The script is very cool, contemporary," Ratner told MTV News. "It's not an homage. It's not a remake, really. It's going back to the original source material — the mythology of the characters."

Meanwhile, for fans eager to see the famous Cimmerian make his way to the big screen, Ratner hinted that he might be very close to making a decision regarding his involvement with the project. "[Screenwriters Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain] just did an incredible, incredible job or else I wouldn't be risking it," said Ratner. "Because I know how difficult it is to do these movies and its something that I'm really excited about."

[MacGuffin]

Brett Ratner Cleaved From Conan The Barbarian Remake
Source: MTV

The word coming out of the UK today is that director Brett Ratner is no longer on board to helm the upcoming "Conan" not-a-remake. Producer Joe Gatta (who is also producing the "Conan"-spinoff "Red Sonja") revealed the news in an interview with Empire, posted today.

"We're currently in the process of hiring a director," he told the magazine. "For the past six months we were discussing the movie with Brett Ratner, and for more timing issues than anything else we had to part ways with Brett. We all wanted him to do it, believe me; just the timing didn't work. But you never know what can happen."

While that's a pretty wishy-washy comment at the end there, for now at least it looks like Ratner is out. "X-Men" fans who are looking forward to a new take on "Conan" are probably breathing a sigh of relief right about now.

Gatta went on to say that "Conan" is still in production, with a planned August 24 start date for the on-location shoot in Bulgaria. No word yet on which actor will wield the muscled barbarian's sword, but Gatta goes on to say that the search will begin in earnest once a director has been secured.

[Pas]

always a good news to have Ratner off something

[matt35mm]

Or is it?  He's just going to get attached to something else now!

[Gold Trumpet]

Or is it?  He's just going to get attached to something else now!

Yea, but it will be another low level project of minimal interest. I'm surprised at the number of projects he gets attached to and finds himself passed over on. If Ratner has never been stood up at the prom, he sure must understand how it feels now, but give the guy credit for trying to go to the party with the same dress all the time.

[MacGuffin]

Marcus Nispel to direct 'Conan' remake
Nu Image/Millennium bringing back barbarian pic
Source: Variety

Marcus Nispel has been set by Nu Image/Millennium Films to direct "Conan," ending a nine-year development ordeal to reinvent the Robert E. Howard-created barbarian first immortalized onscreen by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1982.

Production on the remake is set to start late this year in Bulgaria and South Africa. Nu Image/Millennium is making the film in a co-production with Lionsgate. Avi Lerner and Joe Gatta are producing with Fredrick Malmberg. Malmberg runs Paradox, the company that holds the rights to "Conan" and the other hero franchises in the Howard library.

The film will be the most financially ambitious ever for Lerner, with a script by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, whose credits include "Sahara" and "Cowboys and Aliens."

Paradox originally set the project at Warner Bros. but declined to ink a new rights deal after numerous unsuccessful attempts to make it with directors like Larry and Andy Wachowski and Robert Rodriguez. Malmberg then set it with Lerner in a seven-figure deal with strong progress to production stipulations. Lerner flirted with Brett Ratner last year, but the filmmaker could not commit in a timely fashion and Lerner couldn't wait.

That opened the door for Nispel, who'll make "Conan" his third redo, after "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Friday the 13th." For Nispel, "Conan" is a job he has dreamed about since his childhood.

Nispel said he will blend his childhood imaginings of the character with the influence of the famous Conan illustrations by Frank Frazetta, and the influence of such viscerally violent period films as Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto."

"Conan" maintains a following through such ancillary properties as a Dark Horse comicbook series, a vidgame for Xbox 360 and a Funcom/Eidos multiplayer online role-playing game.

Boaz Davidson, George Furla, Henry Winterstern, Trevor Short and Danny Dimfort are executive producers.

Nispel is repped by CAA.

[MacGuffin]

Jason Momoa is Conan! And wait'll you see who might play his dad!
Source: SciFi Wire

Looks like Ronon Dex trounced Emmett Cullen to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger in the upcoming Conan reboot after all. Remember how we told you earlier this month that Twilight: New Moon's Kellan Lutz and Stargate: Atlantis' Jason Momoa were in the running to play Robert E. Howard's battling barbarian?

Well, according to Latino Review, Momoa, who had emerged early on as director Marcus Nispel's top choice, screen-tested yet again and blew away his competitors, one of whom turns out to have been Supernatural's Jared Padalecki. With less than eight weeks to go before the start of production, Momoa will start training for the part Monday.

But that's not all! The part of Conan's dad, Corin, has reportedly been offered to—Mickey Rourke.

[RegularKarate]

Why can't NBC get rid of this too?

[Stefen]

lol.

[ono]

Why can't NBC get rid of this too?

Winner.

[©brad]

Why can't NBC get rid of this too?

Hah!

Funny enough, back in November, Marcus Nispel directed a Theraflu commercial I wrote. I spent 3 weeks with him in freakin' Bulgaria of all places, at this huge studio where he was simultaneously prepping this movie. This will look pretty and maybe have a couple nice set pieces but ultimately will be a big miss.

[MacGuffin]

Mickey Rourke to play Conan's father
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Mickey Rourke is in negotiations to play Conan's father in Lionsgate's "Conan" movie.

Marcus Nispel is directing the pic, which being produced by Nu Image/Millenium Films and sees Jason Momoa playing the barbarian warrior created by Robert E. Howard.

Shooting is scheduled to start in Bulgaria in March.

The story sees Conan embark on a quest to avenge the slaughter of his people including his father, Corin. 

Rourke, who had been tipped off to play the father by website Latino Review in January, was offered the role, but dealmaking fell apart. The two sides came back to the table in the last couple of weeks.

ICM-repped Rourke has been making the most from his Oscar win for "The Wrestler." In a similar path to John Travolta after his "Pulp Fiction" win, Rourke has signed on to a slew of projects, ranging from high-brow ("Passion Play" with Bill Murray and Megan Fox) to low-brow ("The Expendables" with 1980s action heroes) to big commercial plays ("Iron Man 2").

[Pubrick]

Rourke has been making the most from his Oscar win for "The Wrestler." In a similar path to John Travolta after his "Pulp Fiction" win,

neither of them won the oscar.

hollywood reporter is constantly getting things wrong, thank god they only do entertainment news, hate to see them report on anything important that requires the least amount of research.