Jason Momoa’s Disastrous Remake Of A Classic Fantasy Movie Is Streaming For Free

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For any actor, taking on the lead role in a story series can be a game-changer. For Jason Momoa, that’s exactly what happened when he was chosen for the lead role in the 2011 film “Conan the Barbarian,” following in the footsteps of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. The latter previously had a role in the 1982 classic of the same name, as well as the poorly-reviewed sequel “Conan the Destroyer.” Unfortunately for Momoa, the movie he found himself in wasn’t shy about disaster.

Currently streaming free on Tubi, 2011’s “Conan the Barbarian” is worth watching if you’re curious. Why? Well, if nothing else, it’s an epic mistake that now exists as a fascinating time capsule. After all, Momoa would go on to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars after the film came out, playing Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe and building on his previous small-screen success with Stargate Atlantis and Game of Thrones (where he debuted as Khal Drogo just a few months before Conan hit theaters). However, this film could have been a make or break moment for him.

Directed by Marcus Nispel, who was coming off the 2009 hit “Friday the 13th” remake, the film follows Conan (Momoa) as he carves a bloody path of vengeance through the land of Hyboria. This path leads him into an epic battle with evil, as Conan’s arch-enemy Khalar Zim (Stephen Lang) searches for the legendary Mask of Acheron, which will allow him to raise his wife from the dead and become immortal. It will also unleash an evil force on Earth, with only Conan standing in the way.

The “Conan” remake, produced by Millennium Films and released by Lionsgate, was, quite simply, a failure in every sense of the word.

For years, there have been plans for a third “Conan” film starring Schwarzenegger titled “The Legend of Conan” or “King Conan.” However, that changed after he was elected governor of California in 2003. Warner Bros. then eliminated the franchise. Several more years in development for the “Conan” reboot before it lost the rights, allowing Millennium to swoop in and secure the franchise in a seven-figure deal in 2007 (as Variety reported at the time).

Several writers and directors handled the project, with Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (“Sahara”), along with Sean Hood (“Halloween: Resurrection”), ultimately receiving a screenplay credit. Development hell and too many cooks in the kitchen rarely lead to good results, and despite having the perfect lead in Momoa, as well as supporting players like Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”), Rose McGowan (“Charmed”), and even Morgan Freeman (“March of the Penguins”) as the film’s narrator, the film just doesn’t come together.

“Conan the Barbarian” was critically panned, as evidenced by its 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Against a massive production budget of $90 million, the film grossed only $63.5 million at the box office. Without accounting for inflation, that’s less than the 1982 film “Conan,” which grossed $79.1 million over its lifetime. However, hopes were high, and Momoa even started writing a sequel at some point, but that clearly did not happen.

The actor has no illusions about what happened either. “I’ve been part of a lot of really bad things, movies where it was out of your control.” Conan [the Barbarian]“He was one of them,” Momoa once said. “It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had [was] It took over and it turned into a big pile of ***.”

You can also get “Conan the Barbarian” on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD on Amazon.