Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Conan (aka King Conan: Crown of Iron)

7/6/10 - Another picture released today.

3/4/10 - Rachel Nichols, the green-skinned, red-headed Orion who hooked up with James T. Kirk in Star Trek, has joined the cast of Marcus Nispel's Conan, according to Latino Review.  Nichols will play Tamara, who teams up with Conan to face down the powerful warlord Khalar Singh.

2/24/10 - Mickey Rourke is in negotiations to play Conan’s father in Lionsgate’s Conan movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Marcus Nispel is directing the film, 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. 

2/16/10 - Latino Review reports that 12-year-old actor Leo Howard will play Young Conan in Lionsgate's upcoming Conan reboot, which will star Stargate Atlantis' Jason Momoa as the adult barbarian.

1/11/10 - Jason Momoa will replace Arnold Schwarzenegger in the upcoming Conan reboot. 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. With less than eight weeks to go before the start of production, Momoa will start training for the part Monday. The part of Conan's dad, Corin, has reportedly been offered to Mickey Rourke.

12/2/09 - Variety reported that Markus Nispel’s upcoming Conan has been acquired for German-speaking territories and the Benelux countries.  Produced by Avi Lerner’s Nu Image Films, the $90 million fantasy epic, seen as a remake of John Milius’ 1982 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as a loose adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s original pulp stories, is among a slew of films acquired by Cologne-based Splendid Film at last month’s American Film Market.

6/12/09 - C.H.U.D. reported that Marcus Nispel will direct the remake of Conan the Barbarian, citing an anonymous source.  The site says that the director has signed a contract to direct the movie, which moves the film into the next gear.  The movie looked like it might stall when Brett Ratner dropped out.  Casting of the title role, which made Arnold Schwarzenegger famous, is still underway.

11/10/08 - Brett Ratner has chosen to direct a 21st-century reboot of Conan, based on Robert E. Howard's original pulp stories, instead of a fourth Beverly Hills Cop installment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate Films will produce the new Conan. As of Nov. 7, Ratner committed to take on literature's most famous barbarian and is in final negotiations to helm the picture, which is aiming for a release in early 2010.  Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly wrote the Conan script, based on Howard's original 1930s character. The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner's ideas.  Millennium and Lionsgate reportedly envision a very R-rated approach in the $85 million budget range. Preproduction is under way for a shoot at Nu Image's Nu Boyana Studio in Bulgaria.  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.

8/13/08 - Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain have been hired to rework the script for Conan The Barbarian for Lionsgate, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Director searches are under way.  Chief executive and president of Paradox Entertainment Fredrik Malmberg is producing the Conan film with Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and Avi Lerner of Millennium Films.  Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (Sahara) wrote earlier drafts of the film, a potential resurrection of the classic warrior created by Robert E. Howard in dozens of pulp stories published in the 1930s. In 1982, Oliver Stone and John Milius wrote a bloody adaptation, which Milius also directed, that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Lionsgate hopes to reboot the Conan feature universe to produce a new, post-millennial franchise by going back to Howard's original stories, with the idea to create a $100 million R-rated origin film, the largest production to date for Lionsgate and Millennium.

01/28/08 - Nu Image/Millennium Films has made a North American distribution rights deal with Lionsgate for a new film series based on the Robert E. Howard-created character Conan the Barbarian.  The first film will be written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer.  The film will be produced by Lerner, Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta, Paradox Entertainment's Fredrick Malmberg, George Furla and Henry Winterstern.  The movie is slated to begin production later in 2008.

12/31/06 - It sounds like this film may get made, although it's still uncertain whether Arnold Schwarzeneggar will return.  No dates yet.

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