Producer/co-writer Chris Morgan says 'The Legend of Conan' will not be a reboot or a spin-off but will be a sequel to the original 1982 movie.
- May 26, 2015
AceShowbiz - Arnold Schwarzenegger says in an interview with TheArnoldFans that he is "really excited" to return for the sequel of 1982's "Conan the Barbarian", "The Legend of Conan". Arnold tells the site, "It is the greatest honor to be 67 years old and to still be asked to come back into all those franchises. Whether it is the 'Terminator' movie or it is now 'Conan', it is fantastic!"
"As a matter of fact, when I get back to Los Angeles, I'll be getting the final script and then I will see it for the first time," he goes on, "But with Universal Pictures, I've tried to convince them now for 20 years to go back and continue with the 'Conan' series and they were not as enthusiastic as I was. But then later, new management came in at Universal and they saw it entirely differently."
"They came to me right away and said they want to pick up the 'Conan' series and to look at some writers and let's get going on that. So we've been working on 'Conan' and I'm really excited to be working on this - to do another 'Conan' movie and hopefully it will be soon!" added the "Terminator Genisys" actor.
According to producer/co-writer Chris Morgan, "The Legend of Conan" will not be a reboot or a spin-off but will be a sequel to the original 1982 movie. Chris tells the site, "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."
Chris adds there are at least three original characters who will return for the sequel.
When asked if there are any new locations considered for filming the upcoming sequel, co-producer Fredrik Malmberg says, "We have been assaulted by film commissioners from all around the world who want Conan to be shot there! At the end of the day, it's a combination of cool scenery and economics. We have visited Spain and it's a very versatile landscape and has great crews. We also visited Colombia, and Universal has experience shooting all around the world, so rest assured it will look spectacular."
Fredrik says "The Legend of Conan" will be "pretty brutal." "Our marching orders from the studio were to create a film worthy as a successor to the 1982 film, which was pretty brutal," he shares, "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."
Fredrik is hopeful that production can begin as soon as this fall after Arnold is done promoting "Terminator Genisys" which is set to be released in the U.S. on July 1.
