37 replies to this topic

[Rockamobile]

no way. none of this expanded universe stuff for conan.

What do you mean, exactly, by "expanded universe"?

I mean exactly what i say. I dont want to see the hyborian age without conan as it's star.imho conan and the hyborian age go hand in hand and need each other.Like most others I want to see ( which isnt gonna happen now anyway) some sort of adaptation of the original stories,before I see an original story again(though i did like the last movie).None of this expanded hyboria™ universe with other characters,akin to what has been done to star wars, cheapened and whored out at least by its own creator,lol.and again just my opinion.is that answer sufficient?

They've already done novels which take place in Conan world where he's not the main focus its had adverse effect on Conan. I don't think a movie series based in Conan's world would do any harm at all.

[amster]

I wouldn't be interested. The whole point of the Conan stories is that he's a fish out of water, a badass barbarian surrounded mostly by civilized weaklings. In this sense, it really doesn't matter if you placed him in the Hyborian Age, Dark Ages Europe, or Oz for that matter, the outcome would be the same (that's why Howard's historical fiction is just as good as his Conan stuff, btw). In lieu of Conan, who are we going to have stand in for him? Another barbarian, an Aesir or Pict perhaps? It would be difficult for it not to be a near carbon copy of other Howard characters. A civilized mercenary? Yawn. A Sorceror? A don't really like wizards unless they're a villian with little or no redeeming qualities (Gandalf and Merlin being notable exceptions). Maybe a hot red head warrior woman in a chain mail bikini would work.

[Rockamobile]

I wouldn't be interested. The whole point of the Conan stories is that he's a fish out of water, a badass barbarian surrounded mostly by civilized weaklings. In this sense, it really doesn't matter if you placed him in the Hyborian Age, Dark Ages Europe, or Oz for that matter, the outcome would be the same (that's why Howard's historical fiction is just as good as his Conan stuff, btw). In lieu of Conan, who are we going to have stand in for him? Another barbarian, an Aesir or Pict perhaps? It would be difficult for it not to be a near carbon copy of other Howard characters. A civilized mercenary? Yawn. A Sorceror? A don't really like wizards unless they're a villian with little or no redeeming qualities (Gandalf and Merlin being notable exceptions). Maybe a hot red head warrior woman in a chain mail bikini would work.

Red Sonja? of course she wasn't originally part of the Hyboran age. That film didn't exactly set the box office a blaze.

Edited by Rockamobile, 31 January 2012 - 03:47 AM.

[amster]

I suppose. You DO know that the majority of the "James Allison" yarns are set in the Hyborian Age or immediately after? Robert E. Howard said so. Conan doesn't have a headlock on the Hyborian Age in REH's writings

I see your point, but Worm and Garden of Fear take place way beyond the bounds of civilization (or what's left of it), and Marchers of Valhalla takes place in the New World, so the settings aren't the same as in the Conan stories, which is what I assume Roackamobile was getting at (Age of Conan style adventures starring other characters besides Conan).


Howard wrote Wolves Beyond the Border without Conan. That might be worth seeing.

He also abandoned it before it was finished, which tells me that REH decided that a Conan story without Conan just wouldn't work.

[Ironhand]

Perhaps they could do a movie about Thoth Amon?

Dark Horse did a comic about Thoth Amon and botched it, IMHO.

[Rockamobile]

I suppose. You DO know that the majority of the "James Allison" yarns are set in the Hyborian Age or immediately after? Robert E. Howard said so. Conan doesn't have a headlock on the Hyborian Age in REH's writings

I see your point, but Worm and Garden of Fear take place way beyond the bounds of civilization (or what's left of it), and Marchers of Valhalla takes place in the New World, so the settings aren't the same as in the Conan stories, which is what I assume Roackamobile was getting at (Age of Conan style adventures starring other characters besides Conan).


Howard wrote Wolves Beyond the Border without Conan. That might be worth seeing.

He also abandoned it before it was finished, which tells me that REH decided that a Conan story without Conan just wouldn't work.

They can do a Hyborian age movie without Conan. Borrow some minor character from one of Howard's stories for example. or come up with someone new? It's wide open.

Edited by Rockamobile, 31 January 2012 - 04:09 AM.

[Rockamobile]

Perhaps they could do a movie about Thoth Amon?

Dark Horse did a comic about Thoth Amon and botched it, IMHO.

Still , Id like to see them do a film about Thoth Amon.

Edited by Rockamobile, 31 January 2012 - 04:18 AM.

[Almuric]

I can't believe nobody's made the obvious answer yet so I'll do it:

"I'd like to see a movie that actually took place in the Hyborian Age first!"

[amster]

They can do a Hyborian age movie without Conan. Borrow some minor character from one of Howard's stories for example. or come up with someone new? It's wide open.

Belit and Valeria are about the only characters interesting enough to carry an entire film on their own. I always thought Thoth Amon was overrated myself. How about The Adventures of Count Trocero? No, that's a terrible idea.

Or maybe we could do a Normanesque film like Sancha of Kordova: Slave Girl.

[Ironhand]

Since we're talking about a Hollywood movie, how about a vampire flick featuring Akivasha?

[Dave the Rage]

Never mind HotD, what about Doom in the Gloom starring Olmec fighting against the skull clan! Awsome with a vampire lisbian and strong as a bull leader.
“ Techotl pointed to a black column of ebony which stood behind the dais. Hundreds of red dots scarred its polished surface — the bright scarlet heads of heavy copper nails driven into the black wood. "Five red nails for five Xotalanca lives!" exulted Techotl, and the horrible exultation in the faces of the listeners made them inhuman... ”

— Robert E. Howard, "Red Nails"

Now that would make a bad ass movie without Conan in it, like a semi horror actioned packed ride. With the Rock playing Olmec lol.

Suppose they could use the undone Red Nails cartoon as a trial run?

[ambiente]

Yes, I would be interested in seeing such a film.
I came up with a somewhat similar proposition a few months ago:

What about something close to the opposite?

1. Start with a cable series with a premise similar to "Age of Conan", where the writers will have freedom to create characters and stories in the setting of the Hyborian Age world. The character of Conan would exist in that setting, but would be absent from screen and rarely mentioned, and only to emphasize the ups and downs of his "career". (You can half-guess what the surviving Bakala lady is going to say about him...) The time period would not be after Conan gets to be king, but perhaps just before the events of "The Phoenix on the Sword" and "The Scarlet Citadel" stories. The expectation is that this will, slowly but steadily, turn people away from relating the series to the recent failed flick.

2. Then, after a few years, hit the big screen with a completely new film using a smart script adapting any of the original stories.

3. And they should promote the new film as based on the work of Robert E. Howard, that gave birth to the sword and sorcery genre, that inspired the cable series and a list of classic books and films. (I know: More books than films...)

Yes, ROBERT E. HOWARD, because he created a literary genre, and we want a film to stand and serve as true homage to that genre.

[Almuric]

Valeria or Belit are pretty much the only characters who might be able to support such a film.

[Ironhand]

A film about Thoth-Amon showing the entire story arc of TA's exile, conflict with Ascalante, and final return to Stygia. I think this could be an epic comparable to HotD.

[Lunatic]

Please let the audience get a grip of the Hyborian map if someone does it.

I would see it. A low fantasy high adventure with some nice grit and bloodshed spiced with sexy barbarianas, fighting something wicked and slightly just slightly more evil than the antihero. If it has the entertainment value of a Conan story. Why not?

Fantasyegyptian vampire Akivasha, battles Solomon Kane(s, zingaran ancestor)?

Wolfs across the borders, was a draft right? Perhaps it would be fun to write a story where Conan is fighting with the pict. He is amoral enough? But this would cross pastiche with canon.

[mario]

anyone else thinking that sprague decamp is kicking himself in his grave for not thinking this up himself?

[Kane]

If it was done in the Hyborian Age setting, not an easy thing to establish, I would love to see some films using that background.
REH's "The Hyborian Essay" gives us, imo, more then enough material and history to set an entire film franchise. Starting from the Great Cataclysm to the Pictish Expansion there is plenty to use for the creation of a dozen stories and presenting the foundations of a dozen or more heroes.
Of course I would rather this setting be opened up for writers who know and our fans of Howard's original work and be respectful to the established setting.
Finally, what might be better then a series of films would be if this concept were to be taken by eother Starz or HBO andf turned into a series that covers the adventure/quest/life of a single character through a single season. With the next season introducing a new character, either a descendent of the first or a completley new character in a new location centered around a different event in the history of the Thurian continent.
But first and foremost, establish the setting as happening in the Greater Hyborian Age, and keep it the same low fantasy, dark and gritty setting that Howard first established.

[Rockamobile]

I suppose I wouldn't mind too much, but I'd much rather see a faithful Conan movie first.

That's definitely something we'd all like to see.