HOME TRAILERS RELEASE DATES PODCASTS REVIEWS POSTERS INTERVIEWS BOB $TENCIL NEWS FEEDS ABOUT APPS

LATEST NEWS

Brett Ratner Will NOT Be Directing Conan Anymore

by Alex Billington
May 7, 2009
Source: Empire

Our friends at Empire are reporting that Brett Ratner will no longer be directing Lionsgate's Conan movie. They spoke with producer Joe Gatta (who is still working on Red Sonja as well) and got an update on the status of the production. "For the past six months we were discussing the movie with Brett Ratner, and for more timing issues than anything else we had to part ways with Brett. We all wanted him to do it, believe me; just the timing didn't work. But you never know what can happen." I don't know if this is good news or bad news? It's only bad because, if not Conan, then what else out there is Ratner going to ruin instead?

There's not much more that Gatta had to add, but he did say they've got a start date and will be casting soon. "We have a potential start-date on Conan of August 24. And we'll be shooting in Bulgaria. I would say though the emphasis is on Conan [rather than Red Sonja]. It's our crown jewel here at the company and that will be the leader. Red Sonja probably won't happen until next year, as far as making it goes. So we want to launch Conan and reinvent the franchise." This reboot has been in development for a long time (we actually first saw a poster for it back in 2007), so hopefully this means it'll finally get made sometime soon?

Considering I'm not the biggest fan of Conan or Red Sonja or any of that (not even Schwarzenegger's movie from 1982), I don't even know where to start with ideas for better directors. At one point, even Rob Zombie was rumored, although that would've probably been a disaster. We'll let you know when and if they find a new director for this and, most importantly, who they cast to fill Arnold's shoes as Conan the Barbarian.

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

Janny

well at least conan won't be making a 'last stand' for a chuckle i would suggest zack snyder to take over conan but if this is they "crown jewel" how about trying to get ridley scott... if he does it gladiator style then it could work out
jerms

They should try to get a good director. If this is really so important to them, why would they actually want Ratner? Doesn't make them seem very credible.
SlashBeast

There is a just and merciful God! "We all wanted him to do it" - Those are the scariest words ever uttered by a human being. Brett Ratner is a guaranteed franchise-killer, everything he touches melts into shit. Keep him away from anthing with any sort of remote possibilities of being good.
Dave Lister, J.M.C.

Not that it'll be a good movie; but it just took a big step, towards not sucking as much as it could have. Ratner suuuucks.
xerxex

cool.
Mister_Bubbles

What is good in life? To crush your enemies, see zem driven before you, and hear ze lamentations of their women. Conan: motivational speaker since 1982
sumonesumtime

Ratner shouldn't be allowed to direct his piss to the toilet.
Chris

Well A. Your wrong. Conan was an awesome movie. But B. You were right in saying that humanity has been saved by Brett Ratner being taken of this movie. Maybe down the line when a Conan movie trailer is released you'll change your mind and all of a sudden be a big fan of Conan.
http://youtube.com/snears Nick Sears

good
Cody

Man gotta IMDB this guy never heard of him really fro0m the comments sounds like that's a good thing
moldybread

I just dont see why they want to remake Conan...it was perfect as is...the only role Arnold couldnt screw up...it called for very little acting on his part and it all seemed to work...what would be gained by doing a remake???
Drax

Thank fucking Christ for that. Ratner should stick to what he's good at - cheesy, cop-buddy movies. Conan needs to be helmed by someone like Tel Toro or Jackson. Evern Peter Berg who did Hancock would be a wise choice. Anyone but Ratner.
harlem shake

Ratner, Put the camera down and walk away please. PLEASE Dont direct, dont write, dont even produce. Just stop. Please.
http://www.galaxykid.net Johnny Neat

Thank you movie gods!!!! Thank you!!! Now get Arnold in this mother as King Conan and we're gold.
lando

this guy should direct commercials and thats it
Dan the Fan

Alex, I'm sorry, but you wrote in your Tintin update that you were more interested in who was working on the project than the actual story. So... really it doesn't come off as a surprise to me that you weren't much of a Conan fan. You need to stop reading your stupid US Weekly magazines, take your head out of your ass, and start respecting good storytelling. Conan the Barbarian was a brilliantly told story - in every aspect. The imagery, the tragic hero, music.... I could go on forever! It's timeless... a classic display of how genuine filmmaking SHOULD be. Not some flashy romp-fest. I hope readers of your website have known to read your posts with a grain of salt. You are clearly all about the flash... More interested in the team than the story... Jesus. A good story can come from anyone!
zubzwank

I loved Conan The Barbarian(1982), despite its many glaring flaws. None of the subsequent sword-and sorcery flicks, including its own sequel, got anywhere near it. #11, Gotta disagree, Arnie did fine in Total Recall, T2, Twins, True Lies and others. No Lawrence Olivier, but way better than Stallone (ugh) and JVD, and up there with the younger Willis. I agree that Arnie should at least cameo, looking like he did at the end of CTB, with the "crown lying heavy on his brow." There is a great sword-and sorcery movie out there waiting to be made, and it's about CTB. He was the first and the greatest, just like Superman will always be the first and greatest super hero, regardless of how many mediocre comics and movies about him are put out. When they investigate the detritus of our civilization, ala AI, they will find the S, not adamantium claw pictures. I agree-either Zach Snyder or Ridley Scott would do Conan proud.
Fisherr

Conan should be Tyler Mane.
david

ridley @#$@#%% scott should do it. agree 100% its the 3rd conan movie is should be epic. conan the conquerer directed by ridley scott. would love to see arnold as king but only if they could erase the hokey hollywood one liners and make him as stoic as the first movie.