Jason Momoa's Disastrous Remake Of A Classic Fantasy Movie Is Streaming For Free

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

For any actor, stepping into the lead role in a storied franchise can be a game changer. For Jason Momoa, that's precisely what happened when he was cast in the title role in 2011's "Conan the Barbarian," following in the footsteps of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. The latter previously played the part in the classic 1982 film of the same name, as well as its poorly-regarded sequel "Conan the Destroyer." Unfortunately for Momoa, the movie he found himself in was nothing shy of a disaster.

Currently streaming for free on Tubi, 2011's "Conan the Barbarian" is worth checking out if you're curious. Why? Well, if nothing else, it's an epic misfire that now exists as a fascinating time capsule. After all, Momoa would go on to become one of Hollywood's biggest A-list stars after the movie came out, landing the role of Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe and building on his previous small screen success with "Stargate Atlantis" and "Game of Thrones" (where he made his debut as Khal Drogo just a few months before "Conan" hit theaters). Even so, this film could've been a make-or-break moment for him.

Directed by Marcus Nispel, who was coming off of 2009's hit "Friday the 13th" remake, the movie follows Conan (Momoa) as he carves a bloody path of vengeance across the land of Hyboria. This path leads him into an epic battle with evil, with Conan's mortal enemy Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang) seeking the legendary Mask of Acheron, which will allow him to raise his wife from the dead and become immortal. It will also unleash a wicked force upon the land, with only Conan standing in the way.

Produced by Millennium Films and released by Lionsgate, the "Conan" remake was, quite simply, a failure in every sense of the word.

For years, there were plans to make a third "Conan" movie starring Schwarzenegger titled "The Legend of Conan" or "King Conan." However, that changed after he was elected Governor of California in 2003. Warner Bros. then spent several more years developing a "Conan" reboot before losing the rights, allowing Millennium to swoop in and secure the franchise in a seven-figure deal in 2007 (as reported by Variety at the time).

Multiple writers and directors flirted with the project, with Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer ("Sahara"), along with Sean Hood ("Halloween: Resurrection"), ultimately getting screenplay credit. Development hell and too many cooks in the kitchen rarely breeds good results, though, and despite having a seemingly perfect lead in Momoa, plus supporting players like Ron Perlman ("Hellboy"), Rose McGowan ("Charmed"), and even Morgan Freeman ("March of the Penguins") as the film's narrator, it didn't come together. 

"Conan the Barbarian" was savaged by critics, as evidenced by its 25% Rotten Tomatoes score. Against a hulking $90 million production budget, it made just $63.5 million at the box office. Without even accounting for inflation, that's less than the 1982 "Conan," which boasts a $79.1 million lifetime gross. Hopes were high, though, and Momoa even started writing a sequel at one point, but that obviously didn't come to pass.

The actor has no delusions about what happened, either. "I've been a part of a lot of things that really sucked, and movies where it's out of your hands. 'Conan [the Barbarian]' was one of them," as Momoa once put it. "It's one of the best experiences I had and it [was] taken over and turned into a big pile of s***."

You can also grab "Conan the Barbarian" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD on Amazon.