"Hellboy" to Play Conan's Dad in Movie Adaptation

"Hellboy" to Play Conan's Dad in Movie Adaptation

Ron Perlman lands the role of Conan's father, Corin, in Marcus Nispel's Conan reboot!

By bsprecher - Mar 13, 2010 04:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Conan
Source: Vulture

With the casting of all of the lead actors in director Marcus Nispel's (Pathfinder) reboot of the Conan movie franchise completed, the supporting roles are starting to be filled up. New York magazine's Vulture blog is reporting that Ron Perlman of Hellboy fame has been cast as Conan's father, Corin, a role that had been offered to Mickey Rourke.

Here's the official cast description for Corin:








[ CORIN ] He's in his 30s to 40s, Caucasian, powerfully built, intelligent, graceful, master swordsman, skilled blacksmith, de facto leader of Cimmerians and Conan's father. He resolves to answer the terrible request of his dying wife and cuts Conan out of her so she can see him. He then shoulders the burden of raising Conan, which proves to be daunting given the boy's savage nature. Corin teaches his son the meaning of the sword: a hot blade must be cooled and tempered. When Khalar finally corners him and tortures him to death, he shows no regret nor pain, hiding his concern for his son's safety from the eyes of the enemy. SUPPORTING





Jason Momoa will lead the cast of Conan as the Cimmerian barbarian, with Leo Howard playing young Conan, Rachel Nichols as Conan's love interest, Tamara, Bob "The Beast" Sapp as Ukafa and Stephen Lang as Khalar Singh.

Production is expected to begin this month in Bulgaria for a 2011 release.
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sadmamba
sadmamba - 3/13/2010, 5:31 AM
so what happen to mr rourke?
cptamericanotsomuch
cptamericanotsomuch - 3/13/2010, 5:42 AM
ron pearlman freakin rocks!!!!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 3/13/2010, 5:51 AM
PEARLMAN's freakin so wrong for that part it hurts??

Great actor but NO to CONANS DAD!

I'd rather ROURKE!
bsprecher
bsprecher - 3/13/2010, 6:43 AM
@LEEE: I'm with you! I would much rather see Rourke in this role. Plus, his involvement would add some much-needed star power. Perlman was good as Hellboy, but he doesn't carry the same clout or gravitas that Rourke can offer.
bsprecher
bsprecher - 3/13/2010, 6:45 AM
@sadmamba: My guess is he realized that it was only a bit part and didn't want to waste his time traveling all of the way to Bulgaria for it.

That, or they couldn't match his fee.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 3/13/2010, 7:02 AM
Brent @ Yeah totally on your wave length, he don't have the clout ROURKE has, and with STARGATE BOY as CONAN, they need a lot of clout lol! ; D

Star power is deff needed for this one or it'll just get lost in the crowd!

Thats scary if they couldn't match ROURKES fee!


P.S. Still think Rachel Nichols would've been a perfect RED SONJA for the other movie, pity.. but cool shes in this!
Deadpaul
Deadpaul - 3/13/2010, 7:18 AM
everything about this movie sucks. lead actor wrong!, villain wrong!, Ron Pearlman WRONG! some one please slap the director and tell him he's messing up before he's begun.
sadmamba
sadmamba - 3/13/2010, 7:33 AM
@brent: maybe its about the fee..coz i do remembered rourke went to russian prison in praparation for his role in iron man 2 so traveling isnt the issue..

dont hate Ron, but conan's dad is not for him.
flames809
flames809 - 3/13/2010, 7:41 AM
i think when the movie comes out it will be great. i have hopes for this movie
Spock
Spock - 3/13/2010, 7:48 AM
I rather see Jolene Blalock then rachel nichols.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 3/13/2010, 8:29 AM
andypand89
andypand89 - 3/13/2010, 8:35 AM
THIS IS GUNNA BE A BEAST OF A FILM!!! ARNIE SHUD HAVE A CAMEO OR PLAY CONANS GRANDFATHER OR SUMTHING!!!
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/13/2010, 8:37 AM
Although the movie has some decent enough actors, a lot of them seem to have been cast in the wrong roles and the whole thing just stinks of B-Movie crap. ;(
Osiris
Osiris - 3/13/2010, 8:40 AM
I actually like this, it fits nicely since Perlman is getting to old to play Conan himself but he did voice him for the Conan game.
DDD
DDD - 3/13/2010, 8:44 AM
To have a scrawny unbelievable actor to play Conan is
not going to launch this movie like it should be! I
don't care how many good actors you throw around CONAN!
With the wrong one in the lead the movie is going to
fall as flat as Momoa's biceps!

I see why Rourke backed out! I wouldn't want to be
associated with this turkey if I had the great-acting
rep that Mickey has!

I don't understand why they would give this movie to
the guy who made that awful PATHFINDER movie, another
movie that wasted a lot of great talent! He can't make
a good movie if his life depended on it!

A little poem:

WHY IN BLOODY HELL
GIVE THIS TO NISPEL?
HIS MOVIE'S NEVER EXCELL,
THERE NOTHIN' BUT FAIL!

I am extremely disappointed with this whole
thing cuz I'm not just a fan of CONAN,
I'M A DAMM FANATIC! It turns my stomach!
I'm sorry but it just does!!!


DogsOfWar
DogsOfWar - 3/13/2010, 9:19 AM
I like the idea of having Ron in this. He knows how to be a badass way better than Rourke so we can see where Conan came from.

Sounds like it will just be opening scene or two anyways.
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 3/13/2010, 9:24 AM
I actually like this casting choice. Perlman has the physical presence to pull off Conan's father, is definitely very capable with a sword, fits the role that is laid out, so I don't have any challenge with it.

I am not going to judge Momoa until I see what he looks like come production time. I think Momoa is a solid actor and should be given a chance. Had it not been him, we would have ended up with an unknown that could have little or no acting ability. Momoa is recognizable and will draw in the Stargate fans. I have never been a big Rourke worshipper. He's alright, but I didn't think alright for this part.
Talontd
Talontd - 3/13/2010, 9:58 AM
I'm really not hating this...

Rourke definitely has more star power, but in terms of acting ability, I think they are pretty even. However, for some reason, i picture PERLMAN being better with a sword. I think he's had several roles with a sword, OUTLANDER, IN THE NAME OF THE KING, AND BLADE II (? not sure if he had a sword in that one).

This certainly isn't a deal breaker for me, hopefully the trailer rocks!
Taranaich
Taranaich - 3/13/2010, 10:10 AM
"THIS IS GUNNA BE A BEAST OF A FILM!!! ARNIE SHUD HAVE A CAMEO OR PLAY CONANS GRANDFATHER OR SUMTHING!!! "

Christ, no. They're trying (and failing miserably so far) to distance themselves from the 1982 film, even though they might as well just call it a remake.

"This certainly isn't a deal breaker for me, hopefully the trailer rocks!"

I'm consistently surprised people are still expecting this to be a good film when the script is from the same guys who gave us Sahara and A Sound of Thunder, and it turned out that it *gasp* sucks heinously. Honestly, read the synopsis floating about the 'net, it steals from Kull, Red Sonja, even freaking X-Men: The Last Stand. It's tripe.

Yet somehow, it's only now that Momo is cast that people are finally twigging on to the idea that the film might not be that good. Sorry guys, when a script's this horrific, it doesn't matter how perfect the guy playing Conan is.
statechamp00
statechamp00 - 3/13/2010, 10:25 AM
I cannot wait to see Conan!!!
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 3/13/2010, 10:39 AM
Taranaich@ So, if you have access to an accurate script and not rumors that are floating around the net, would you care to share it with us? Until then, speculation is just that...speculation.
ASSASSIN666
ASSASSIN666 - 3/13/2010, 10:47 AM
DDD- You have this movie dead to rights also brother. Damn shame how they will ruin this character, and piss us all off in the process. Epic fail doesn't come close to describe it, this one is more like an Amtrak wreck at high speed.
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 3/13/2010, 10:59 AM
How do we know they are going to ruin the character? They haven't even started filming yet. I have my apprehensions, but I am not ready to throw in the towel based on a bunch of opinions floating around message boards. Momoa is a much better actor and sword handler than Arnold could hope to be. We just need to see how much muscle he can put on before filming.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 3/13/2010, 12:48 PM
Guys, check out my ULTIMATE AVENGERS Fan Cast!!! Just click the link!!!
shiftysharp
shiftysharp - 3/13/2010, 5:28 PM
im sorry but for me i am just not feeling this film at all,it just has straight to DVD written all over it.
i hope when it is released i am waaaaaaaaaaay off with my estimations, but i am not getting my hopes up.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 3/13/2010, 5:52 PM
IN ALL HONESTY NOW, I SEE SOME POTENTIAL NOW, THIS MOVIE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE DIDNT EXPECT, YOU CAN'T COMPETE WITH SWARTZENAGER'S CONAN...YOU CANT...BUT YOU CAN MAKE IT CURRENT AND GET THE CONAN FEEL THAT WILL NOT ONLY BRING BACK THE OLDSCHOOL, BUT ALSO USHER IN A TON OF NEW FANS..
r0r5ch4ch84
r0r5ch4ch84 - 3/13/2010, 6:58 PM
Sorry Gun, But I've seen this guy act, and he just doesn't do a good enough determined sneer. Without the determined sneer with the wild eyes there just is no Conan.
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 3/14/2010, 8:28 AM
Ron is great choice, but Rourke would have been better as Conan´s father!:) Ron Perlman and Stephen Lang together as villains! It would be awesome!! Stephen Lang as Khalar Singh and Ron Perlman as Thoth-Amon!:D

GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 3/14/2010, 9:41 AM
I DUNNO ROR5CH...THE GUY MIGHT SURPRISE US, HE IS PRETTY GOOD WITH A SWORD AND THE GUY IS BULKING UP..
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 3/14/2010, 9:46 AM
AN INTERVIEW I FOUND...
Jason Momoa. (Special to the Register)

I’m in pain,” Jason Momoa groaned as he lay down for a 10-minute break.

That’s what six hours of sword and fight training can do to a guy.

Momoa, who grew up in Norwalk, Ia., was enrolled in early February in an intense six-week training program at a stunt and martial arts academy in Los Angeles for his title role in the upcoming movie “Conan.”

Go here for our coverage of Jason Momoa.
Find out where Jason Momoa hangs out in Des Moines.
Go here for our Jason Momoa photo gallery.
Director Marcus Nispel (“Friday the 13th” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) is reviving the fantasy franchise in 2011. Filming for the multi-million dollar Nu Image/Millenium, Lionsgate and Paradox project is scheduled to shoot from mid-March through June in Bulgaria.

Momoa flies to Europe on Monday. He beat out “Twilight” vampire Kellan Lutz for the role.

“It’ll definitely be (my biggest role) as far as a blockbuster hit,” said Momoa, 30, who added that he was still finalizing negotiations for the role even as he wielded a 10-pound sword.

“He only goes for things that interest him. I believe he really wanted this,” said Jason’s mother, Coni Momoa of Norwalk.

The character of Conan is a fictional Cimmerian warrior created in 1932 by Texan writer Robert E. Howard. This will be the third major movie about the 6-foot 2-inch, 210-pound Conan. The original


Jason Momoa in 2003. (photo from Coni Momoa.)

“Conan the Barbarian” (1982) and the “Conan the Destroyer” sequel (1984) starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, now governor of California. Momoa was just a toddler when Schwarzenegger first strode on screen as the swarthy, blue-eyed barbarian.

“At the time, it was amazing … It’s got a little ’80s vibe to it,” Momoa said.

2011’s “Conan” has potential to be as big as the 1982 film, according to Edward Summer, associate producer of “Conan the Barbarian.”

“The original Conan stories are very strong stories.”

And a strong story can lead to a strong script, he said, although there is no exact way of knowing what the film’s impact will be. “Barbarian” grossed nearly $70 million worldwide, according to box office revenue tracking Web site boxofficemojo.com.

At 6 feet, 5 inches and 215 pounds, Momoa, of Hawaiian heritage on his father’s side, fits the physical features of Conan. (His green eyes can be made blue with contact lenses, Momoa noted.)

He expects to add 10 more pounds of muscle to his frame with help of David Leitch, a stunt performer seen in “The Bourne Ultimatum” and Chad Stahelski, the martial arts stunt coordinator for “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.”


Conan retains a strong fantasy following as the subject of a Marvel comics series from 1970 to 1996, picked up by Dark Horse Comics in 2003 “Conan” and in 2008 for “Conan the Cimmerian.”


Jason Momoa, Christmas, 1980. (Coni Momoa/Special to the Register)

“First we have Brandon Routh as Superman, and then this,” said Jeremy Bement, who manages Mayhem Comics in Clive.

He hopes Momoa will be able to portray Conan as more than just a buff warrior.

“(Conan’s) not just all muscle; he’s brains and brawn,” Bement clarified.

“He was the strong, silent type,” Summer said.

“He eventually becomes king, so he is smart.”

To tackle Conan’s psyche and to prepare himself for what he called a “burly script,” Momoa went to the source.

“I did more research with the books (than the movies), to tell you the truth,” he said.

A character sketch of Conan from the upcoming film describes the lead character as “very smart, almost inhumanly strong, and very cunning. … His entire life, from the moment of his birth, has been shaped by violence.”

Momoa looks tough, but stepping into his third epic fantasy role to date, still considers himself a “mama’s boy.”

“I’m a little hippy kid from Iowa, man. I was no toughie. I spent my fair share of time stuffed in lockers,” he said.

Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa was born on Aug. 1, 1979, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Namakaeha, a paternal family name, is Hawaiian for “all knowing eyes.” When he was 6 months old, Momoa and his mother moved to Norwalk to be closer to her family. Growing up, Momoa was interested in sports and rock climbing, not acting.


On top Whistler Mt. Vancouver, BC. 2006 Coni Momoa and Jason Momoa. (Coni Momoa/Special to the Register)

“He was never into any drama at school,” Coni said.

Momoa, an only child, delighted in the fact that his parents were artists – Coni a photographer, and Joseph, a painter.

Momoa returned to Hawaii to attend the University of Hawaii. He was working at a family member’s surf shop when “Baywatch” auditions came to town.

His friends made an audition portfolio for him, helping him earn the role as the hunky Jason Ioane on the TV series starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.

“I went from folding T-shirts in Hawaii to walking around half naked with really beautiful women, which wasn’t bad at 19,” he said.

He appeared on the show from 1999 to 2001, then moved to Los Angeles to take acting classes.

After portraying Frankie Seau on the romantic drama “North Shore,” Momoa landed the part of Ronon Dex on the Sci-Fi series “Stargate: Atlantis” from 2005 to 2009.

His “passionate” Sci-Fi fans, as Momoa described them, created a MySpace page on his behalf.

Last fall, Momoa was cast as the brutal warrior Khal Drogo in “Game of Thrones,” a pilot and potential HBO fantasy drama. He will start filming more of the TV series in Ireland and Morocco at the end of June.

Momoa’s personal life has grown alongside his acting career. He has been with his partner, actress Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable from “The Cosby Show”) since 2005; they have two children: Lola Iolani, 2, and Nakoa-Wolf, 1.

Fatherhood helped give Momoa insight into the Conan character, he said, since the warrior seeks revenge after his family and townsfolk are murdered.

Momoa said his tendencies are not remotely close to Conan’s brutal ways, although when threatened, he would not hesitate to defend his kids.


Jason Momoa, 13 Christmas 1992 (Coni Momoa/Special to the Register)

“… If that happened to my family, I’d do the same,” he said.

While on the verge of what could be his breakout role, Momoa set aside time to explore other interests and cultivate his own film projects.

He wrote and directed “Brown Bag Diaries: Ridin’ the Blinds in B minor,” a short drama film about a vagabond trying to find a home, which he hopes will be screened at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival this year.

He plans to shoot a second short film with Bonet this spring in Europe. And he said that five years from now he would be happy to be producing more of his own movies.

“Ultimately I will be doing my own art like I always have,” he said.

Momoa paints, as well. He experiments with the way the colors drip, and creates mixed media projects that have landed him art shows in Hawaii and Australia.

He is also a self-taught guitarist, finding time to strum melodies during down time on set.

He hopes “Conan” will open the door to more opportunities. On his wish list is a role in the fourth installment of Johnny Depp’s “Pirates of the Carribean,” rumored to be in the works for release next year.

“I simply get to study life. I can be a doctor, I can be a crack addict, I can be Conan the Barbarian – or I can be saving the frickin’ galaxy. It doesn’t ever get dull.”


Jason Momoa, 20. Coni Momoa, 47. Christmas 1999. (Coni Momoa/Special to the Register)

It just occasionally gets painful, brandishing that sword.
hescian
hescian - 3/14/2010, 11:02 AM
Not sure why people keep dissing Arnold's acting ability.
He was easily the biggest star of the late 80's and 90's. Sure, he's not the greatest thespian, but you don't become that big a star with no acting ability. Same goes for Stallone. All you need to do is look at all of the physical action movie-types whose careers didn't really go anywhere. Compare the careers of Arnold and Stallone, to Dolph, VanDamme, or the majority of wrestlers-turned-actors, and you'll see what I'm saying.
Also, Arnold's swordsmanship in the Conan movies (and Red Sonja) is actually quite good. Especially with a sword that big and heavy. A large, heavy broadsword is befitting of Conan. One of the great aspects to the Arnold movies, is that the fighting was direct and heavy. Asian-style martial arts could ruin this new movie.
On the subject, however, I generally like Ron Pearlman. In fact, I've liked him in every role I've seen him in. He'll do fine...
Shaman
Shaman - 3/14/2010, 1:03 PM
Hey guys, if you have a few minutes to waste, check out the reviews, or better yet, click on the pic ;)









Ranger14
Ranger14 - 3/14/2010, 4:44 PM
Hescian@ There is a big difference between being a big star and being a good actor. BIG difference. ;-) I never said that Arnold couldn't handle a sword, but Momoa is much more skilled at a sword than Arnold was. That is part of the challenge with having too much mass and bulk, you aren't going to be as agile, quick and fluid as someone who is less bulky. Mass does not help with developing superior sword skills. In Howard's original books Conan is referred to as quick, agile and panther like. Not necessarily direct and heavy.
A7
A7 - 3/15/2010, 5:58 AM
white dad - hawaiian son
loganoneil
loganoneil - 3/15/2010, 11:06 AM
Oh yeah, right... Pearlman SOOOOO looks like Momoa (about as much as Momoa looks like Conan!) I predict 'EPIC FAIL' for this flick (either that or a stright-to-SyFy channel/DVD release, which is pretty much the same thing!)! Let the SUCK commence....
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