Robert Rodriguez’s planned Conan the Barbarian TV series receives a disappointing update from the director. The Conan franchise evolved from a series of short stories by Robert E. Howard into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1982 breakout hit Conan the Barbarian, directed by John Milius. The success of the movie prompted a less well-received sequel, Conan the Destroyer, as well as the critically-maligned 2011 Conan the Barbarian remake starring Jason Momoa. A TV series has been in development for a long time.
During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (via Bleeding Cool), Rodriguez discussed the potential Conan the Barbarian TV series that he had pitched to Netflix. He stated that the streaming giant allowed the rights to the IP to expire and relapse, throwing everything into limbo. Check out the interview and Rodriguez’s comments below:
Netflix had it. I went and pitched it to them. And they then… they let the rights lapse. Sometimes it’s too much baggage for a character… No one has captured the spirit of Conan from the books yet.
What This Means For The Future Of The Conan Franchise
It’s Back To The Drawing Board
This is disappointing for those hoping for a new Conan project, and there is the feeling Rodriguez was planning to do something fresh and fun with the franchise. While a Conan the Barbarian TV show could still happen, it feels unlikely at this stage, and any development could be a long way off. Right now, the focus will most probably be on trying to find a new long-term home for the Conan franchise and finding out what interest there will be. Netflix might even make a move to go back in and secure the rights, but this would be less likely.
Conan the Barbarian has been both successful and unsuccessful on the big screen, but a TV show would be brand-new territory, the perfect medium to explore the franchise, and the character, in more detail.
As a major Schwarzenegger movie, Conan remains one of his most iconic roles, and there is every chance the character would still command popularity today. There is also a good chance the Conan movies could perform well if they dropped on streaming, which could then open the door for another service, such as Peacock or Hulu, to take a chance on the franchise. An updated Conan TV series still holds some appeal, but much will depend on where the franchise ends up next.
Our Take On A Conan TV Show
A Departure From Formula Could Work Wonders For The Character
Conan the Barbarian has been both successful and unsuccessful on the big screen, but a TV show would be brand-new territory, the perfect medium to explore the franchise, and the character, in more detail. Since TV shows like House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones reinvented the fantasy genre for television, there are plenty of opportunities to take an IP like Conan the Barbarian in an exciting direction. The only question is whether Rodriguez or Netflix might eventually end up being involved.
Source: The Joe Rogan Experience (via Bleeding Cool)
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a multimedia franchise that began in 1931. Conan first appeared in the 1931 short Story “People of the Dark,” but the character grew in popularity in the ’80s when Arnold Schwarzenegger took on the character for two live-action films. Since then, multiple movies, TV shows, video games, and comic books have been released, centering on the titular character.
- Created by
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Robert E. Howard