It’s time for yet another attempt at making “Conan the Barbarian” a major franchise in Hollywood. After Arnold Schwarzenegger first brought the character to life in 1982 (follows by a sequel in 1984), the franchise laid dormant for decades. That is until Jason Momoa donned the loincloth for a ‘Conan’ film back in 2011. But with that film failing to catch on with a large audience, it’s time for Netflix to take a stab at the swords and sorcery epic.
READ MORE: Tom Sturridge Is In Talks To Star In Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’ Series For Netflix
According to Deadline, Netflix has made a deal to adapt writer Robert E. Howard’s “Conan the Barbarian” as a new series for the streaming platform. Much like the previous films, the new series will tell the story of the title character, an orphan boy that was raised as a slave and grew to become a fierce warrior with revenge on his mind. Netflix, along with Pathfinder Media, is said to be on the search for a writer-showrunner to help develop the new series, as well as lay the groundwork for what could be the platform’s next big franchise.
That’s right, we used the coveted f-word. The word that makes studio heads giddy and some film fans groan. Franchise.
You see, Netflix’s deal with Pathfinder Media is not just for one series based on “Conan the Barbarian.” No, it’s a deal that allows the streaming service the first shot at adapting Howard’s other ‘Conan’ stories for potential series and films (both in live-action and animated). This is yet another IP that the platform has landed that will allow it to attempt multiple different “ins” with audiences, whether it’s a “Witcher”-esque violent fantasy series or maybe even a “He-Man”-esque animated series aimed at a younger audience. Netflix clearly has a ton of options with how to proceed.
If you’re interested in the Schwarzenegger and Momoa versions of the character, you can see the trailers for those films below:
And if you didn’t believe me about the possibility of a TV series, here’s the intro from the cartoon from the ’90s: