Monday, August 3, 2009

'Conan' Remake Updates from Director Marcus Nispel

Awhile back the "Conan The Barbarian" fan site Conan The Movie Blog sent out a list of fan question to director Marcus Nispel ("Friday The 13th," "Pathfinder") about his upcoming "Conan" remake. Much to their surprise, Nispel answered back!

In the “exclusive interview” Nispel discusses how he views Conan as a character, what made him take on the remake and why this modern version has to be different from the 1980s film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Here are a few choice snippets from the interview:

How important is it to you to stick to the Conan character of the original [Robert E. Howard] stories?

The character of Conan is what most attracted me to this project. He is the last of the reality-based superheroes and the most unapologetic one at that. I find that refreshing in these politically correct times.

What are your thoughts on the previous Conan films? What did you like or dislike?

The original “Conan” movie was written by two master storytellers, Oliver Stone and John Milius, giving us a tough act to follow! Their movie also features the best beheading ever in a major motion picture. Besides, perhaps “Let the Right One In”, which is another perfect example of creativity over special effects.

Like all movies they have to be understood in the context of the time they were produced. Our collective consciousness changes every generation, though and we can’t step into the same river twice. “Conan the Barbarian” was initially released in the disco era, on the heels of “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back”. The original film must have hit people like a freight train upon its release. Today is a different time entirely. As a society, we are more cynical in times of depression. We have been overfed with high gloss and contrived CG imagery and seek something we can grasp. As our consciousness has shifted, so will the image of Conan.

What do you have in mind for sword fights? More asian swirling swords, or more realistic fighting?

Conan is no Errol Flynn and there will be no “frozen moments”, but he will spar with a host of characters that fight in their unique own ways. We all know that Hyboria is an ethnically diverse world. Conan will have to adapt his style slightly to conquer them.

Are you aiming for an ‘R’ rating with this movie?

I’d love to do the x-rated version!

You can check out the interview in full by going here.
What are your thoughts on Nispel's view for his "Conan" remake?

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: Screen Rant, Conan Movie Blog

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