Apart from the disastrous final season,Game of Thronesonly has a few other annoying aspects. One of them is thatJason Momoa’s character, Khal Drogo, dies early. Drogo’s time on the show came to an end shortly after his duel with Mago. What initially seemed like a small flesh wound got worse, and his wife Daenerys’ attempts to heal him using black magic yielded no fruit. Eventually, Daenerys was left with no choice but to smother him with a pillow to end his misery. On a positive note, Daenerys emerged from grief stronger than ever.
Conan the Barbarian
Drogo became a fan-favorite character after only a few episodes, but there isn’t much the writers could do to prolong the Dothraki khalasar chieftain’s stay since he also dies early in the books. Additionally, it was essential to the larger plot for Daenerys to stand alone. She would never have become the Mother of Dragons if Drogo were still alive. He would have taken the spotlight. Still, fans can’t help but wish they had seen a little more of the character. Thankfully, Jason Momoa has other roles that are very Drogo-like. One of them is Conan in the 2011 filmConan the Barbarian.
Jason Momoa Attempts To Fill Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Boots in ‘Conan the Barbarian’
Making a new movie about Conan, the legendary sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard, was a bold move for Millennium Films and director Marcus Nispel, since the character had already beenportrayed so well by Arnold Schwarzeneggerin the 1980s. Despite the complexity of the task, they gave it a shot.
Like many Hollywood epics, the film is about the testing of a good man, who must suffer, persevere, come back tougher, be tempted by a leggy damsel, and all the rest. Events occur in the mythical Hyborian Age, where thesorcerers crafted a powerful artifact known as the Mask of Acheronusing the blood of kings' daughters. The mask, used to enslave the world, was eventuallybroken into pieces and scattered among the numerous barbarian tribes to ensure no single person would use it for their selfish agenda. Now the warlordKhalar Zym is on a quest to get the pieces and use them to resurrect his dead wife, a powerful sorceress, and create a new age of Acheron domination.
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During the bloody campaign, Zym and his goonsattack a Cimmerian village and slaughter everyone, including a popular blacksmith, but spare the man’s son named Conan(the biggest mistake movie villains make). In the years that follow, Conan grows to be a formidable warrior and pirate, never forgetting what was done to his father. Certain that he is now capable, he begins hunting Zym.
During his quest for vengeance,Conan meets Tamara, a descendant of Acheron, who happens to be the last remaining piece that Zym needs to complete the ritual and activate the artifact’s power. The warrior rescues Tamara when the monastery she has been living in gets attacked by Zym. As events unfold, Conan and Tamara develop a romantic connection. Now it’s only a matter of time before Conan faces Zym, himself.
Fans of the Schwarzenegger Films Will Hate Momoa’s ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ But ‘Game of Thrones’ Fans Will Love It
Arnold Schwarzenegger’sConanflicks are some ofhis best films overall. On the other hand, Momoa’s version has largely been forgotten, but it isn’t necessarily poor.Director John Millus’ mistake was changing some things that worked well the first time around. For example, the legendary antagonist, Thulsa Doom, is replaced by the weaker Khalar Zym, who relies on his goons and has no major special abilities that set him apart. Still,Game of Thronesfans are unlikely to be as pissed at the film as Schwarzenegger fans. And even those quick to air the terms of their resistance will find themselves capitulating soon enough.
Like the critically acclaimed HBO series,Conan the Barbarianhas Jason Momoa as a warrior-like figure during an ancient period. And viewers aren’t just given a taste of the awesomeness. They get to see him on the screen fror long periods. Apart from that, the two productions share themes, tone, and characterization, making them feel mystically connected despite having different origins.
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Political intrigue is carefully intertwined with supernatural elements, resulting in a saga that feels richer and more complex than is normally the case in the real world. Both productions immerse us in fantasy worlds where magic and the thirst for more power are the main drivers of the narrative. The minds behind each of the two projects employ enough dramatic strain and pictorial grandeur to sustain viewers through long periods of complex exposition and lengthy bouts of stylish swordplay.
Admittedly, the medieval aesthetic looks better in the Emmy-winning television series (thanks to a higher budget), but fans won’t have a major complaint about the visuals since the cinematography is handled by Thomas Kloss, best known forFearandDon Jon.The film was shot in the Bulgarian locations of Bolata, Pobiti Kamani, Zlatnite Mostove, and Vitosha — paradises still largely devoid of humankind but filled with coves, tubular concretions, stone rivers, and mountains. It all feels very romantic and heroic, like the illustrations from the pages.
Most importantly,Conan the Barbarian,likeGame of Thrones,draws inspiration from the works of one of the best authors who ever lived. Regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre, Robert E. Howard was an earlier version of George R.R. Martin. He never spoke much. He just got the job done and sat back as the world enjoyed it.
Jason Momoa Isn’t Proud of ‘Conan the Barbarian’
Conan the Barbarianonly made $60 million against a $90 million budget. It also received a dismal 25% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Understandably, Jason Momoa wishes he had never been a part of it.
“I’ve been a part of a lot of things that really sucked, and movies where it’s out of your hands,”Momoa told GQ. “Conan the Barbarianwas one of them. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had, and it was taken over and turned into a big pile of sh*t.”
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It might seem like the actor is redirecting blame for the outcome of one of his critically panned projects. After all, he has been in many ‘things’ that weren’t well-received, and when that happens a lot, the actor should be blamed (or perhaps the agent for not giving proper advice). However, director Marcus Nispelbacked Momoa, stating that the movie would have been better if the studio hadn’t interfered too much.
“As a filmmaker in this system you are a dog on many leashes. Trying to get Conan done under those circumstances was the worst experience that I had and I was as unhappy with the result. I’m happy though that none of this got in the way of Jason’s career path…I always stood by the decision to make Conan with him.”
Despite the outcome, Nispel says he was proud to give Momoa his first leading part. By the way, the muscles that Jason flexed forGame of Thrones. I paid for those,” he joked, referring to the strict training program Momoa was put through before playing Conan. Interestingly,Game of Thronesdidn’t do much for Momoa either, contrary to popular belief. The actortold InStylethat he was completely in debt after exiting the HBO series and couldn’t get work elsewhere. Things only got better after he was cast asAquamanin the DCEU.
AfterConan the Barbarian’s failure, Universal Pictures took over and decided to do things just like the old times. In October 2012,it was announced that Schwarzenegger would return to the role of Conanin a new film titledThe Legend of Conan. The film would be alegacy sequelto the original, bypassingConan the Destroyer. Unfortunately, producer Chris Morgan would later reveal that Universal had dropped the project. For now, fans just have to stay hopeful (or nostalgic) as there is no otherConanmovie in development.
