We owe our thanks to screenwriter/producer Chris Morgan (Wanted), whose passion for bringing Conan the Barbarian back to the big screen also managed to convince Arnold Schwarzenegger to reprise the role. In the end, it was Morgan's description of The Legend of Conan, as more of a "cultural catch-up" than a reboot, that got the 65-year-old Schwarzenegger interested in the project. The veteran action star has already appeared in both The Expendables films after leaving office and will next star in Kim Jee-woon's actioner The Last Stand, followed by David Ayer's drug enforcement flick, Ten; but The Legend of Conan offers something more than just a return to his former action-hero glory. Hit the jump to see what Morgan has in store for The Legend of Conan.conan-the-barbarian-arnold-schwarzeneggerIn a recent interview with Hero Complex, Morgan spoke at length about convincing Schwarzenegger to take the role, as well as what he envisions for the Conan character this time around. Be sure to check out the full story at the link provided, but we've included some of the quotes most relevant to the plot of The Legend of Conan. Though still formidable, Schwarzenegger is not the bodybuilding champ he was in 1982 when he made his big barbarian break. So what will we expect him to do as Conan in the next iteration? Morgan stated:

“He’s not going out and fighting battles, but he ends up getting drawn into something. And he has to access the barbarian he was in his youth. I love that Conan has been many things in his life, notably a pirate, a major tactician and a commander of men. In this movie, we’re going to tap into some of those things – things you haven’t seen on screen yet.”

Morgan, who was referencing the original Robert E. Howard stories above, is a fan of the original John Milius film, as well as huge fan of the character and every facet of his life:

“I want the warrior whose joints have started to fuse together, who has to crack the cartilage so he can pick up a sword again. I want the guy who’s not necessarily lost a step, but there’s some rust he has to shake off. I want to embrace that. It makes it a greater hero story. Conan needs to be faced with challenges. The greatest challenge to him isn’t the armies that are set before him. It’s, on some level, self-doubt, a little bit of slowing down and forcing yourself to be heroic beyond what people expect of you. What I don’t want is for him to step back in and look the same. That would defeat the purpose of our story.”

Morgan's own level of involvement in the picture remains to be seen, as he is committed to turning in a draft of the seventh Fast and the Furious film before he could work on The Legend of Conan script.

“No matter what, I’ll be there every step of the way. Whether it’s penning this quickly or selecting the writer, it’s me guiding the process or being a real honest-to-god producer. I’m excited either way. I’m really, really stoked.”

Universal is looking for a Summer 2014 release for The Legend of Conan. 

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