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Who Will Direct Conan?

Posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

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After Brett Ratner dropped out of directing Conan due to “scheduling conflicts,” V For Vendetta director James McTeigue was tipped to be the top choice to helm the project. CHUD is now reporting that while Nu-Image/Millenium want McTeigue, Lionsgate is interested in three different choices:


Christopher Gans broke onto the scene with the 2001 action horror film Brotherhood of the Wolf, following up with the 2006 video game adaptation Silent Hill, which was praised for it’s style over substance. If anything else, Gans’ Conan would look spectacular.

Neil Marshall made a name for himself with the 2002 action horror Dog Soldiers, followed up with the Sundance horror sensation The Descent, and the lackluster sci-fi action thriller Doomsday. He’s currently working on a film called Centurion, about a splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines. After seeing footage and photos from Centurion, I can certainly see why Marshall would be on the short list for Conan.

Marcus Nispel is the commercial and music video director best known for directing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, which looked fantastic but lacked the creepiness of the original. His 2007 viking action film Pathfinder and Friday the 13th reboot weren’t as well received.

The current plan is to being production on August 24th in Bulgaria, and as soon as they find a director, the search will be on for a star to play the iconic role.

Discuss: Who would you like to see direct Conan?

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Tags

Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Lionsgate Films, Remakes, Rumors, , , , , ,

  • Sinister1
    I said it before and I'll say it again -- Tarsem Singh

    Just look at The Fall... how could the guy that made that not make a killer Conan. His visual aesthetic is a perfect match with the world of Conan.
  • eli
    Too bad Tarsem is busy with War of the Gods.
  • The_Scumfrog
    Does anyone really care about Conan? Really? I'm not so sure.
  • Eh, it's basically the Lord of the Rings of pulp fantasy so it definitely has a cult following.
  • there are some die hard Robert E. Howard fans out there....I'm very excited about the Solomon Kane film which is in post-production...I think the people involved with Conan understand what it needs to be...let's hope that Red Sonja film is still getting made as well...
  • The_Scumfrog
    But it stars Rose MaGowan. Nuff said.
  • well they're talking bodybuilders for Conan...I don't think casting for Conan or Red Sonja is really going to matter...it's going to come down to budget and director
  • infrafan
    I love James McTeigue and would think he'd do a great job, but I'd have to go with Christopher Gans, considering he wants to help produce the next Silent Hill movie over directing it, which would leave McTeigue open up for what I'd hope to be more suitable projects for him.
  • James McTeigue can work on a better project so any of those other three directors would be suffice for this Conan "remake".
  • I'm just glad Rob Zombie and Ratner aren't making it
  • nelson
    since v for vendetta is better than

    Silent Hill
    Doomsday
    Pathfinder

    McTeigue all the way
  • I say let Arnold Schwarzenegger direct it!
  • matt
    Where's Mel Gibson when you need him? Just let him make passion of the christ again except change a few character's names and this time have Conan break free from the cross and go biblical on their asses.
  • Strangely enough, I think you're right about Gibson being able to make a good Conan. I mean, say what you want about the guy but he makes a good looking movie.
  • brou
    Give it to Genndy Tartakovsky
  • plus he loves violent combat just look at Braveheart , Apocalypto and the Patriot...the only problem is that he'd cast himself as Conan....
  • he's another director I can't wait to see what he can do with a massive budget
  • Penny Marshall.

    I'm just sayin.
  • Marek
    Paul Thomas Anderson. Not kidding
  • Woody Allen all the way.
  • Mr. X
    See Brotherhood of the Wolf and your going to want Gans all over Conan like a 1000BC fagot.
  • Brad
    Watch Crying Freeman and Silent Hill and you're never going to want Gans to direct a movie again.
  • As far as Silent Hill goes, it was shot pretty well, considering it didn't stray to far from the look and feel of the actual game series I thought he did a good job there. And of course props for BotW.
  • Mr. X
    I also liked Silent Hill for the fact that is stayed true and really, i couldnt sit there and say it was terrible. Not an amazing film, but considering all the other video game movies, Id have to give it to silent hill as one of the better ones that didnt leave me pissed off.
  • Brad
    Lionsgate are IDIOTS. It seems impossible to find three worse choices than Brett Ratner and yet somehow they have done it.
  • really? worst than Ratner? come on.
  • Malcolm
    I don't think any of the choices are great but I do think that they are all capable of making an interesting looking film. In my humble opinion, it all depends on the script.
  • Cat
    Tarantino
  • shameless
    the rat sucks ass
  • Gans is the one I've heard about, from a while ago, and he's the one that gets me most excited. I like both Marshall & McTeigue, and think they would do an awesome job, but my vote goes to Gans.
  • McG
  • i dont care about conan. at all.
  • None of these choices seem preferable except for McTeigue. V for Vendetta was amazing and I would love to see him attached to Conan. If I had to choose one of Lionsgate's choices I would certainly go with Marshall because the Descent was a fairly scary movie, minus the cheesy cave creatures. Gans failed to impress me with the lackluster Silent Hill. The tone he set was certainly creepy but the story drags, especially towards the end. I say no way to Nispel. After watching Pathfinder I cannot believe he could make a descent Conan film. So hopefully it's Mr. McTeigue... for Conan's sake.
  • I agree that McTeigue seems to be the only director with a good head on his shoulders.

    I like Gans but his body of work is limited for a guy who's been in the business for a while. I wonder why.
  • Gans' Brotherhood of The Wolf is still one of my favorite mixed genre films...it influenced the Underworld films and Blade 2...I can't imagine what he could do with a 100million dollar Conan reboot...he's a great pick if McTeigue doesn't end up helming....I forgive him for making Silent Hill considering video game movies are usually doomed from the start
  • Natxo1
    Rob Zombie.
  • TLBorlando
    My vote is for Tarantino as well; perhaps even Robert Rodriguez....keep it gritty just like the Robert E. Howard novels; which is the general aim from what I have heard way back. However, I have heard recently that the studio wants to remake The Barbarian. Listen, just take two or three of Robert E. Howard's stories, put them together and make that a movie. He has some great stories, The Tower of the Elephant, Rogues in the House, Iron Shadows in the Moon, The Scarlet Citadel...I can go on and on.
  • Ugh, terrible choices. Why does this always happen? No names get big franchises. I don't get it.
  • Guester
    Starving - it happens because the biggest and best directors are:
    a) always busy and can't fit everything into their schedules or the studio's schedule
    b) too expensive
    c) only work with certain producers/studios
    So it's never a choose-your-favorite-director-and-hire-them scenario. Also, studios make decisions for countless reasons other than cost and availability such as will a particular director make the movie the studio wants, on their timeline, at their budget. These are important factors for studios/financiers. If everyone could have Chris Nolan direct their film they would! Hope that sheds some light...
  • Guester
    -forgot to add that the biggest and best directors don't always want to do certain movies for **gasp!** artistic reasons! Like maybe they don't like the subject!
  • dusty
    that australian dude that Wolf Creek and Rogue. He can get pretty darn primal.
  • jlr
    Gans would be awesome. Marshall would be OK. McTiegue would be good. Nispel would not be good. What about Peter Berg? The Conan director needs to have a mean streak, needs to be able to direct action and giant set pieces very well, needs to be able to go extreme with the sex and violence without becoming X-TREME and needs to handle fantasy without it getting silly. First and foremost, they need a script that understands what was so cool and badass about the original RE Howard source material. AND, they need a great actor, not a lunkheaded bodybuilder or wrestling star. They need to cast JAVIER BARDEM AS CONAN.
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