One might think that in these technologically driven modern times, a character like Conan the Barbarian might not have much pull, but that's certainly not the case. Seven years after the last Conan film failed to make any box office noise, even with a still-burgeoning Jason Momoa as the lead, Amazon will attempt to spin a big and fanciful Conan TV series from the works of Robert E. Howard, and with executive producer Warren Littlefield's Midas touch partly guiding things.
Simply called Conan, this new TV project aims to retell the iconic warrior's story by dipping back into author Robert E. Howard's original works. At this point the description sees Conan being driven away from his homeland and wandering the mystery-filled and dangerous world around him, where his savage upbringing is judged and dismissed by the civilized groups he comes across. Conan is seeking some kind of purpose in this world, and fans can bet it will involve some major sword fights and fisticuffs.
Amazon's Conan already has the foundation for its creative team intact, too. It was created by Ryan Condal, who most famously co-created the USA sci-fi thriller Colony, and he'll be writing the initial story. The aforementioned Warren Littlefield, the ex-NBC head who now backs critical darlings like Handmaid's Tale and Legion, will serve as an executive producer alongside Condal. Also adding to the E.P. prowess is Miguel Sapochnik, who is also set to direct, according to Deadline. Game of Thrones fans know Sapochnik for his stellar work on the memorable installment "Battle of the Bastards," and he also helmed the series premiere for Netflix's Altered Carbon, so he knows a thing or two about big, epic adaptations. Additionally, Endeavor Content will be the studio behind Conan.
Since the character's Weird Tales debut in 1932, Conan the Barbarian has appeared in tons of different stories, comic books, video games and more, with Arnold Schwarzenegger memorably portraying the first big screen iteration back in the early '80s. The long-gestating Legend of Conan sequel would have brought Schwarzenegger back into the fold, but the project has been in limbo for ages now. On the TV side, there has been one short-lived live-action version, a 1997 series made in the vein of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and there was also a pair of animated series in the 1990s.
Now on a path first blazed by the alternate history drama The Man in the High Castle, Amazon is trying to build its library up with big-budget spectacle series in order to attract more customers and critical attention. The studio is cutting back on quirky comedies and going full-force on projects like this and the potentially game-changing Lord of the Rings series that was ordered in 2017. It's impossible to tell if the rewards will surpass the risks, but we're hoping for the best from the deep-pocketed Amazon.
With the project just now going into development, there's no telling when customers might get a taste of Conan on Amazon in the future. In the meantime, though, you can check out our 2018 Amazon premiere schedule, and our midseason premiere schedule, to see all the awesome TV that's on the way.
