Warner Brothers Reviving Conan the Barbarian

Source: Sci-Fi Wire

Warner Reviving Conan

Warner Brothers has set Boaz Yakin to write and potentially direct Conan the Barbarian, a new take on the Robert E. Howard-created character, Variety reported.

Warner is eyeing an early 2007 production start for the film, which will be produced by Irving Azoff, Jon Jashni, Richard Alexander and Akiva Goldsman. Peter Sederowsky and Fredrik Malmberg of Paradox Entertainment, the intellectual property company that controls rights to the Howard estate, will executive-produce.

Yakin, best known for writing and directing Fresh and for directing the football hit Remember the Titans, has been a fan of the Howard series since childhood and came up with a take that impressed the studio.

Yakin's concept is more faithful to the Howard story than were the two Dino De Laurentiis-produced Conan films that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the sword-wielding conqueror.

Warner has tried to revive Conan and got close twice. The Matrix directors Larry and Andy Wachowski showed interest, and then Robert Rodriguez emerged, but hiring the latter became problematic after he quit the Directors Guild of America so he could co-helm Sin City with Frank Miller.