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mjolnir1964 sent me, another Conan movie is in the works.http://www.joblo.com/arrow/index.ph
I think the problem with Conan is the studios get too musclebound by the idea that Conan has to be a bodybuilder. Conan's toughly built, sure, but Howard compared him more often to a big cat than anything (okay, bull-necked appeared a lot). They'd do much better to try and find someone who
- Can act. You know, study a character and interpret it for a camera. Yes, such things are possible, even in a Conan movie.
- Has a zest for action/adventure, and hopefully at least an amateur interest in swordfighting.
- Possesses some amount of raw alpha-male animal magnetism, ala Sean Connery or Gerald Butler or one of those other highland chappies.
- Good at broad, larger-than-life gestures. I'm talking about the sort of thing that occurs in The Horse Soldiers when John Wayne, playing a lifelong builder of railroads, walks into the bar as his calvarly regiment is engaged in tearing up track and burning ties after fighting a battle that he didn't seek. He sloppily pours himself an overlarge drink then hurls the bottle at the others and spins around and announces that the bar is closed. Conan's moody like that, alternately grim and lighthearted.
- Has a face that doesn't look like it's had many 9 step skin revitalizing treatments at Spa Metrosexual. A broken nose wouldn't hurt.
- Is willing to play it with black hair and blue eyes, even if it means dye and contacts.
Now there was a time when running around in sandals carrying a sword was a perfectly respectable thing for an actor to do (Charlton Helston, Kirk Douglas, Richard Burton, Victor Mature). Conan could be a great little franchise for a studio smart enough to do it right, like Pirates of the Caribbean.
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Comments
Edited at 2008-01-16 02:25 pm (UTC)
No, wait, on second thought, let's not. In any way, shape or form. *shudder*
Eomer in LOTR, for those who didn't know. He has done multiple action roles, and you won't believe this, but he got his start playing Caesar on Xena: WP. And was a GOOD actor. I swear.
And it has nothing to do with wanting to see him in a loincloth again. Really.
You got's good taste girl!
:::drools:::
:::goes back to drooling:::
Oh, I AM a secret Golden Girls fan though. Don't tell anyone. It's just that the dialog on that show makes me laugh so hard!
But honestly? Tom Lommel of Fear of Girls (1 and 2) would be my first choice.
Or Anna Paquin.
Maybe they'll make a Discworld film where he could play Cohen the Barbarian. Heh. *smirks*
The next Conan movie will end up like "Gladiator" (yech!) or you will see Conan finding an orphaned toddler and her two older siblings and fighting an evil wizard (played by Malcolm MacDowell of course) as he drags them across Sumaria to reunite them with their long lost grandparents.
Dirty diapers and hilarity ensue.
*drools just thinking about it*.
Of course, he may be a bit more articulate than Conan once was (w/Schwartzenegger in the part). But we already know he looks good in just tight little manly bathing shorts.....
Anyway, the best plan would probably be to go with the Blond, James Blond plan: Grab a fit supporting-actor type with actual skills, let him spend a couple months with a trainer, then cut him loose. Apparently, Viggo Mortensen had never held a sword before he arrived on the set of LOTR, and he acquitted himself pretty well.
If that isn't feasible, I hope they avoid Karl Urban. He scowls prettily but he's not alpha enough. For my money, if they have to cast a name actor, there's pretty much only one choice, and it's obvious when you think about it: Ben Affleck.
Howard
It's hard out here for a (pseudo-)troll.
The problem with calling for physical traits to demonstrate some of Conan's character is that you don't need that in a movie. You have an actor for that.
In fact, the contacts and dye job might make things worse. If hair and makeup look off, you lose the whole movie. Seriously. James L. Brooks believed one of his movies was ruined by a raincoat. It was bright, bright yellow, very glaring and obvious. People looking at it stopped seeing the movie and started thinking about that coat.
What if Conan's page boy looks ridiculous on the actor? What if it simply doesn't suit him? The thing is, it's not necessary. If you want "volcanic" you just cast an actor who can do "volcanic" and you write him a scene that will show it off.
Also, the physical stuff that signifies so much to you won't have the same meaning to casual fans.
Well, not to split hairs (har) but LOTR Gandalf was wearing a wig. It looked pretty good. I think you get the result you want with the right body type. A rough, straight cut, like Conan would give himself when it got so long he couldn't see through it. Shaggy like.
But I don't want to argue about that. Would the casual fan care as much as the Howard fans? Nope. But would the LOTR fans have liked Gandalf having a mohawk? I think the movie should be both for the big time and causl fans.
Ack!
I think the movie should be both for the big time and casual fans.
Personally, I think the big time fans deserve extra consideration. They're the core of your audience after all.
Still, the big time fans need to allow enough flexibility for the inevitable adaptation that has to occur.
Yes, my opinion of Statham dropped due to In the Name of the King. Urgh. The only one who actually seemed to inhabit a fantasy role was John Rhys Davies, the rest being as wooden and lifeless as the script.
Back on topic, I suspect the best choice for Conan will most likely be an unknown (or one unknown to most of us outside of L.A.), as that prevents that barrier of "Oh, that guy is Conan?" It's better to go with "Who's that guy? He's great for Conan..." Thus, I can't really throw out another option. Karl Urban might be a good idea, but I've only seen him as a bearded blonde man, so it's hard to picture for me. A few years back, Viggo Mortensen might have been able to pull off the role, but unless the story's King Conan, he's a bit old now.
Yummy. Plus Chris Nolan makes movies slooowly, so the Batman franchise shouldn't mess with the Barbarian...
Arnold can take a holiday. California's a small-state, shouldn't be hard to manage it while acting.
My recommendation is Mads Mikkelsen: http://imdb.com/name/nm0586568/
It might be hard for the American public to warm up to him. But his accent doesn't seem quite as thick as Arnie's, and with some blue contacts and longer hair, he might be able to pull it off. If you saw him in King Arthur as Tristan, you might see why.
-Nik
http://nihawkins.wordpress.com
I for one would like to see a later day Conan if they are going to do one. King Conan, with stories from his days after taking over the thrown of Aquilonia. I'm thinking some intriguing plot against the King, big war with CGI, and Conan's inner struggle to deal with his Kingdom, his family, and all the external issues. Of course that is far too much for one movie, but hey, a guy can dream.
I'm quite impressed with Ray Stevenson from Rome btw. He's a big dude, with a good acting range. He could be an interresting leading man...