Supplement Four
Mongoose
I once read that, originally, the Arny film was meant to be the first of a series of films--one every two years or so--that carried on, not unlike the James Bond series.
My dream of all dreams would be to see something like that. But, I think, from the beginning, I'd have the end of the series in mind. Five films. Maybe seven. Maybe a few more or a few less.
But, here's what I would like to see....
I would keep the series "fresh" by focusing on a new geographical area of the Hyborian Age on each film.
The first film would be another origin tale, but I wouldn't destroy Conan's village. I'd set the entire thing in the north. The Vanir, Aesir, Hyperboreans, plus Frost Giants and Ice Worms, Ymir and Crom, Atali, and even Cimmerian clan vs. clan conflicts--bloodfeud--provide enough conflict and excitement and action for any single film.
I'd have a good 20 minutes on Venarium. Conan would gradually grow to manhood during the film. And, I'd take good ideas from the stories, both from Howard and pastiche.
It is pastiche, but I've always thought the climax of Legions of the Dead would make for an excellent scene in a movie like this. It is deep, dark, sorcery that raises the dead, but can you imagine recognizing the dead? Hopefully the director of my Conan masterpiece would be able to do justice to the moment when cold realization spreads over Conan as he realizes the dead that he's fighting are his comrades that he fought next to yesterday.
There is plenty of fodder in the north to make for an incredible first film in this series.
The very last scenes might be Conan, heading south.
Film two would pick up with Conan in the civilized lands, among the Hyboreans. Where the first film was all snow and ice and sleet and mountains, wind, and grey skies, this film would look completely different, set (most probably) in Zamora. Conan will be a thief, and that's where the story will center. A stolen object. Kezankian hillmen. Maybe a lost ruin out in the desert. A scorned wizard. And, a focus on the twisting alley-ways and slums of the Maze. All of that would make for a fantastic story.
Film three would begin with Conan as a master thief--one with a price too high on his head. The atmosphere change in this film would take us from a thief in the city to an irregular in Turan's Army (kinda following the de Camp timeline, I know...I'm just scratching out an outline here). The first film focussed on the barbaric north. The second on the Hyborian south. This one will be a bit more cosmopoitain, but with a focus on a soldier. Turan vs. Hyrkanian Nomads. Turan vs. Khitai. Turan vs. the Zuagirs or the Kozaki. Maybe a story where Conan and his Turanian unit is sent south to Vendhya.
Either way, do you see how each film in the series has its own "feel"? It's own "atmosphere"?
I'd want to continue with this.
There'd be a film that focuses on Conan journeying through the Black Kingdoms.
There'd be a film that centers on Conan having a Free Company.
One film would focus on Conan becoming a pirate, either on the great Western Ocean or on the Villayet.
Another would focus on Conan in the Pictish Wilderness.
Some of the films focus on Conan, himself (as with The Tower of the Elephant) and some will focus on the clash of large, modern Hyborian armies (as with Black Collossus).
One film is about Conan roots in the north.
One film is about Conan becoming a thief in the civilized lands of the south.
One film is about Conan becoming a soldier.
One film is about Conan journeying among the tribes of the Black Kingdoms.
One film is about pirates, with a huge sea-borne battle, guns a-blazing and boarding actions.
One film is about Conan leading a Free Company, with thousands of knights clashing against impossible odds.
One film returns Conan to his roots, sort of, in the wild lands west of Aquilonia, among the Picts.
And, then, there will be a film about Conan becoming king.
With a final film about Conan defending his realm.
That's nine films. Three trilogies. With one film every two years, that's the next two decades of Conan.
It would be kind of like the Harry Potter series--a long series that has an ending. Or, you can think of it as Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit + a couple of extra films.
Or, you can think of it as the Star Wars Saga plus the final three films that Lucas will never make (He once spoke of a nine part saga).
18 years. Good writing. Great star. Fantastic directors.
That would be my dream.
EDIT: I'm thinking of recurring characters that aren't in every film. If you wanted to do a long term "quest" as shown in the Arny movie with Thulsa Doom or in the recent flick with Khalar Zym, it would truly be epic because Conan would encounter the foe in one film and then have it out with that character two or three films later.
My dream of all dreams would be to see something like that. But, I think, from the beginning, I'd have the end of the series in mind. Five films. Maybe seven. Maybe a few more or a few less.
But, here's what I would like to see....
I would keep the series "fresh" by focusing on a new geographical area of the Hyborian Age on each film.
The first film would be another origin tale, but I wouldn't destroy Conan's village. I'd set the entire thing in the north. The Vanir, Aesir, Hyperboreans, plus Frost Giants and Ice Worms, Ymir and Crom, Atali, and even Cimmerian clan vs. clan conflicts--bloodfeud--provide enough conflict and excitement and action for any single film.
I'd have a good 20 minutes on Venarium. Conan would gradually grow to manhood during the film. And, I'd take good ideas from the stories, both from Howard and pastiche.
It is pastiche, but I've always thought the climax of Legions of the Dead would make for an excellent scene in a movie like this. It is deep, dark, sorcery that raises the dead, but can you imagine recognizing the dead? Hopefully the director of my Conan masterpiece would be able to do justice to the moment when cold realization spreads over Conan as he realizes the dead that he's fighting are his comrades that he fought next to yesterday.
There is plenty of fodder in the north to make for an incredible first film in this series.
The very last scenes might be Conan, heading south.
Film two would pick up with Conan in the civilized lands, among the Hyboreans. Where the first film was all snow and ice and sleet and mountains, wind, and grey skies, this film would look completely different, set (most probably) in Zamora. Conan will be a thief, and that's where the story will center. A stolen object. Kezankian hillmen. Maybe a lost ruin out in the desert. A scorned wizard. And, a focus on the twisting alley-ways and slums of the Maze. All of that would make for a fantastic story.
Film three would begin with Conan as a master thief--one with a price too high on his head. The atmosphere change in this film would take us from a thief in the city to an irregular in Turan's Army (kinda following the de Camp timeline, I know...I'm just scratching out an outline here). The first film focussed on the barbaric north. The second on the Hyborian south. This one will be a bit more cosmopoitain, but with a focus on a soldier. Turan vs. Hyrkanian Nomads. Turan vs. Khitai. Turan vs. the Zuagirs or the Kozaki. Maybe a story where Conan and his Turanian unit is sent south to Vendhya.
Either way, do you see how each film in the series has its own "feel"? It's own "atmosphere"?
I'd want to continue with this.
There'd be a film that focuses on Conan journeying through the Black Kingdoms.
There'd be a film that centers on Conan having a Free Company.
One film would focus on Conan becoming a pirate, either on the great Western Ocean or on the Villayet.
Another would focus on Conan in the Pictish Wilderness.
Some of the films focus on Conan, himself (as with The Tower of the Elephant) and some will focus on the clash of large, modern Hyborian armies (as with Black Collossus).
One film is about Conan roots in the north.
One film is about Conan becoming a thief in the civilized lands of the south.
One film is about Conan becoming a soldier.
One film is about Conan journeying among the tribes of the Black Kingdoms.
One film is about pirates, with a huge sea-borne battle, guns a-blazing and boarding actions.
One film is about Conan leading a Free Company, with thousands of knights clashing against impossible odds.
One film returns Conan to his roots, sort of, in the wild lands west of Aquilonia, among the Picts.
And, then, there will be a film about Conan becoming king.
With a final film about Conan defending his realm.
That's nine films. Three trilogies. With one film every two years, that's the next two decades of Conan.
It would be kind of like the Harry Potter series--a long series that has an ending. Or, you can think of it as Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit + a couple of extra films.
Or, you can think of it as the Star Wars Saga plus the final three films that Lucas will never make (He once spoke of a nine part saga).
18 years. Good writing. Great star. Fantastic directors.
That would be my dream.
EDIT: I'm thinking of recurring characters that aren't in every film. If you wanted to do a long term "quest" as shown in the Arny movie with Thulsa Doom or in the recent flick with Khalar Zym, it would truly be epic because Conan would encounter the foe in one film and then have it out with that character two or three films later.
