Conan Films on their way

By John Freeman on August 15, 2007

Paradox Entertainment, the company which owns the stories and characters created by pulp author Robert E. Howard, including Conan, Kull, Bran Mak Morn and Solomon Kane, has announced it has sold the option for Conan movies to Millennium Films. Development has
started and discussions are underway for US and international distribution.

Conan has a long and proud history as novels, comics and film and Fredrik Malmberg, President & CEO of Paradox Entertainment feels the time’s right for the Cimmerian’s to return to the big screen. “Robert E. Howard’s ‘Conan’ is undoubtedly one of the greatest fantasy characters in our time and with the right filmmaker this movie will be huge,” he says. “We’re very happy to be working with Millennium Films as they share our passion and are fasttracking the project.”

Producers on the new Conan project are Malmberg and Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and George Furla, from Millennium Films, who’s also producer on the upcoming Day of the Dead project and Red Sonja, the latter currently scheduled for release next year.

The studio is currently working on Righteous Kill (starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro), King of California (starring Michael Douglas) and John Rambo (starring Sylvester Stallone).

Paradox Entertainment has owned the rights to Conan since 2002 through its subsidiary Conan Properties International LLC, and acquired the rest of the Howard library in early 2006. Conan has been making a comeback the past couple of years in publishing, gaming and collectibles. (Conan’s female counterpart, Red Sonja, is currently published by US publisher Dynamite Entertainment).

This autumn sees the release of the action-packed Age of Conan videogame (pictured above, top) and spring 2008 sees release of the massively multiplayer online game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures from Funcom/Eidos (pictured right).

Robert E. Howard is considered by many to be the creator of the genre “Sword & Sorcery”, perhaps most known through the character ‘Conan.’ Despite his short literary career – Howard died when he was just 30 – he wrote over 800 stories and poems.

His breakthrough came when being published in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales during the 1930s with stories set in such different surroundings as ancient Atlantis, the North African desert during the first World War, hidden opium dens in dark alleys of the city, and northern Britain during the invasion of the Roman legions.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.