Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed on to reprise his role as Conan, for The Legend of Conan. The film will be a direct sequel to the 1982 film and will bring back some of the other actors in the film (although who we aren’t sure). Word is it is going to be brutal and stay true to the source material (yeah until it gets a focus group screening and they decide to add a CG talking cat or some shit).
I’m not sure how all of this will play out since its 33 years later and there is a lot to live up to with the John Milius classic. Obviously word on the film is tight lipped since no shooting date has been given, but producer/co writer Chris Morgan gave us an update on the project via TheArnoldFans.com:
Our tone is a logical extension of the character established in the ’82 film…but 30 years later. When we meet him again, Conan has been many things over the course of his life — a thief, a warrior, a pirate, a king, a legend — and is now an older man. Think Unforgiven…with a sword-wielding barbarian.
Milius was a visionary. And a hero of mine. He established a milieu that is stunning and violent and clear — incomparable. The goal, the dream, is to live up to his world. To make it worthy. And to expand on it in a truthful way that audiences will embrace. We’re very lucky that the architects of this new film — the writer, the producers, the studio and most of all, Arnold — who is Conan — are all first-generation fans who either worked on the film or who came along for the ride, cheering from their theater seats opening night. We plan nothing more than to immerse ourselves in the world Milius envisioned from Robert E. Howard’s unforgettable stories and Frank Frazetta’s stunning artwork. I can’t give specifics (nobody likes a spoiler!), but know we are honoring the locales, the religions and the traditions of the ’82 film.
Our marching orders from the studio were to create a film worthy as a successor to the 1982 film, which was pretty brutal. To Conan it’s not about fancy sword moves; it’s about the fastest and most effective way of disposing of your enemy. A dance of death, maybe, at least primal. In my opinion, Conan is beloved because of his political incorrectness. He doesn’t think, he just acts. People can relate to the freshness of somebody who doesn’t give a damn about civilization — in fact, despises it. At the same time he is a magnificent fighter, leader and friend.
I guess we will have to wait awhile to see what comes out of all of this, as we await the new Terminator to see if Arnie still has his box office Mojo. If not I’m guessing a new Conan will end up in Yellow Light heaven.