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By Crom! Brett Ratner Will Direct Conan
Rush Hour director tackles fantasy icon
10 November 2008 | Written by James Dyer |
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Rumours have been circulating like vultures for a few weeks but it’s now official: Brett Ratner will direct the upcoming Conan reboot. The Internet has been awash with speculation since word first leaked and, while we commend the pig-headed refusal to accept the cold, hard truth when it’s staring you in the face, fans must now face reality: the director of Rush Hours 1 to 3 will usher the Cimmerian into the new millennium.
While many believed the director would be far too busy making preparations for Beverley Hills Cop 4 (which will likely still go into production first), Ratner has agreed to take on the project, due for a release sometime in 2010. Robert E. Howard’s barbarian - first brought to the screens by a then unknown Schwarzenegger back in 1982 - has been an icon for over 70 years and fans initially rejoiced at the news that, like Batman Begins, the new Conan would take the brawny hero back to his roots with a story far closer to those that Howard originally told. Much of that excitement will have now evaporated with news that it’s Ratner standing at the helm.
Now, the obvious thing to do here would be to wail, gnash our teeth and join in the inevitable torrent of whinging and moaning that’s taking place all over the world. We’re not going to, though. While it’s true, Ratner doesn’t have the most confidence-inspiring body of work (and taking on projects like Cop 4 certainly don’t increase his credibility), that doesn’t mean Conan will be a de facto disaster. X-Men: The Last Stand, for all its flaws, was not a bad film. It didn’t hold up particularly favourably to Singer’s superb X-Men 2 but then few comic book movies do.
Naysayers reacted with similar histrionics when McG signed on for Terminator: Salvation but from what we’ve seen of that so far, the film is shaping up nicely. Conan could be Ratner’s chance for redemption – an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and prove to movie fans everywhere that he’s not the hack they accuse him of being.
Empire remains cautiously optimistic. Anyway, there’s always Red Sonja.
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| RE: X3 was fun | Or... maybe he won't.
Ratner says Conan announcement 'premature'. link]
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Posted by KeithM at 04:04 on 13 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: X3 was fun | Perhaps, when taken a single film it could be seen as popcorn entertainment. But it squandered it's chance to be great. That, I think, is what gets people's goat about X Men 3 and Ratner has to share some of that blame. However, I have a sneaky suspicion he might be able to pull something out of the bag with Conan. More
Posted by gunstar at 20:15 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: X3 was fun | Vinnie Jones was the only thing I didn't like about the film.
Otherwise it was a good summer blockbuster. More
Posted by Tech_Noir at 20:08 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: X3 was fun | 'Course it would. It would be slated more. People would say 'Brian! What the fuck are you doing? You carefully built up all those plot threads in the first two films that a performing monkey would have been able to tie up and you've just pissed them up the wall!! And there's Vinny Jones in muscle suit!! GET THIS MAN A DOCTOR!!'
That's what they would say. More
Posted by gunstar at 20:07 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | X3 was fun | eat. I enjoyed it, I left the cinema satisfied.
If you changed the director credit on the film to Bryan Singer I don't think it would get slated as much.
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Posted by Tech_Noir at 20:02 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: Stop whining | L: genejoke
So brett ratner is going to direct conan, thats fine. Conan in its trur form is pulpy violent fantasy more akin to conan the destroyer than conan the barbarian. Seems to me Ratner is a fair choice, he is a competant director for all x-men 3s faults few lie on ratners shoulders, the problem was the shit, franchise busting storyline which was in place before ratner took on a fast tracked project. The Rush hour movies are ok, disposable entertainment but still some of the highligh More
Posted by Overmind at 19:35 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | Stop whining | So brett ratner is going to direct conan, thats fine. Conan in its trur form is pulpy violent fantasy more akin to conan the destroyer than conan the barbarian. Seems to me Ratner is a fair choice, he is a competant director for all x-men 3s faults few lie on ratners shoulders, the problem was the shit, franchise busting storyline which was in place before ratner took on a fast tracked project. The Rush hour movies are ok, disposable entertainment but still some of the highlights of jackie c More
Posted by genejoke at 12:17 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | More like... | ...Brett SHATner. Haa haa huurrgh More
Posted by Jack'sSmirkinRevenge at 02:59 on 12 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | this won't happen | every fucking month there's news on a new Brett Rattner, film, it's a load of shite. he'll drop out in about 3 weeks, then get back to Beverly Hills Cop 4, then leave it for a computer game film, before being the guy who's going to do the new Superman More
Posted by Hughezy at 12:34 on 11 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | X3 was wank | to all those saying X3 was okay well fuck right off! it was one of teh biggest shambles in recnet comci book history compared with the likes of spriderman3. it wanst all Ratners fault but to have shot the movie with such a weak and pathetic story shame on him! the whole plastic darts fiasco, someone needs to be put down for coming up with the lame and uninspired writing in history! X1 was ok as orgins go and X2 was on the money the Xmen franchise deserved better and now Conan one of the best rev More
Posted by miketang99 at 05:19 on 11 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | Ha Ha Ha | I couldn't give a crap about Conan so all this whingeing is hilarious to me. It'll be even funnier if in a few months everyone's like, "aw Ratner's cool, I knew his movie would be kick-ass!"
Of course I was one of those disappointed X-Men fanboys so I should be sympathetic...but I'm just not... More
Posted by Gabriel at 23:45 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: Killing another Franchise | .
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...... I feel like crying..
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... Dont the studios read the mans CV before hiring him? More
Posted by Overmind at 19:57 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | Killing another Franchise | That's the end of the Conan re-booted franchise before it even starts. Ratner has already killed X-Men which was great under Bryan Singer, given Hannibal a good kicking and completely overdone Rush Hour, especially when the first film wasn't anything special.
Most Conan fans don't want him near the film, but the producers seem to ignore them and I doubt it would be any good with Ratner in the director's chair. More
Posted by freemantle_uk at 19:06 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | "X-Men: The Last Stand, for all its flaws, was not a bad film."
I unreservedly disagree. I appreciate the fact that Ratner jumped aboard an already sinking ship but the fact is that X3 was a hollow, shabby mess and I have zero faith in Brett Ratner to pull this off. That film aside he is still a woeful choice and as clear a sign as Lionsgate could make that they don't give a fuck how bad this turns out, so long as it can draw a crowd.
I wish I could share your own cautious optimis More
Posted by O_Goncho at 19:02 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | RE: | No it isn't anywhere near one of the worst films you've seen. And I don't even know what films you've seen. But I do know you've seen worse.
However, while I'm no fan of Ratner, X3 can't be blamed on him. I really can't be arsed going over old ground again, but just do a little research (you won't need to leave this board either) and you'll see that X3 was already mortally wounded long before Ratner came on board. If anything, he should be credited with making it as More
Posted by KeithM at 18:46 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | x-men 3 is one of the worst films I have ever seen. i was looking forward to a new conan, but not now More
Posted by Motski at 18:34 on 10 November 2008 | Report This Post | | | | | |
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