Caffeinated Clint
Though Arnold Schwarzenegger’s got too much else on his plate to take up sword-fighting again – Warner still want to bring "Conan the Barbarian" back to the multiplex.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Warners production president Jeff Robinov, who with director Chris Nolan has successfully reinvented the "Batman" franchise, says he’s hoping to do the same with the "Conan" franchise.
Waiting for a "Conan" script from an unnamed action writer-director (rumoured to be Robert Rodriguez), Robinov is committed to producing the film within the next year.
"I love the character," says Robinov, who is going back to two of the original stories. "It all depends on how the character is realized and the execution of the movie. You hope to satisfy the fan base and the broader audience. There has always been a fan base for the Conan character. So many years have gone by. You have to get to the core of who the Conan character was. It’s like catching mercury."
Before that though, the character – originated by Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) – will be inked for the home video market.
The first animated "Conan" movie, Swordplay Entertainment’s $4.5 million 2-D/3-D "Conan: Red Nails," is in production and set for summer 2006 release by New Line Home Entertainment.
