Netflix Dropped Robert Rodriguez’s Conan Trilogy, Leaves Fans Frustrated

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In a recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Robert Rodriguez discussed the disappointing reasons behind the cancellation of his planned trilogy of movies based on a beloved comic book character. Rodriguez explained that Netflix let their rights to the franchise expire, effectively ending the project. To add insult to injury, Rodriguez had also managed to get James Cameron involved in the project.

As per Rodriguez’s account, the concept for the “Alita: Battle Angel” project was initially developed several years prior, at a time when Cameron felt that technology was not yet advanced enough to realize his creative vision. He made this statement during an interview with Rogan.

Originally, I had plans for a Conan film. I even managed to get James Cameron interested in the project. Our idea was to create something similar to what we accomplished with Alita: Battle Angel. However, I proposed, “Let’s make a Conan movie and let’s style it like paintings.” At that time, the technology wasn’t advanced enough, so I ended up working on Sin City instead.

Rodriguez went on to share parts of the storyline he was envisioning, a narrative that would’ve covered three films and depicted various professions for Conan. In simpler terms, he was describing a plan where Conan would experience different jobs.

The storyline was designed like the James Bond series, where the protagonist evolves from a thief, to a pirate/mercenary, and eventually becomes a king. Similar to Daniel Craig’s transformation in the Bond films, starting with Casino Royale and ending with No Time To Die. I needed an actor who could portray this entire progression. In fact, I had planned out a trilogy based on this concept. I approached Netflix with my idea, but they allowed the rights to expire.

Will We Ever See ‘Conan the Barbarian‘ Return to Screens?

In recent years, the character of Conan the Barbarian has resurfaced in various film adaptations, with notable appearances in the ’80s films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and a 2011 reboot featuring Jason Momoa. Robert Rodriguez’s ambition to bring Conan back to the screen seems to have started around 2016, following his collaboration with James Cameron on the film Alita: Battle Angel. He presented his concept for a barbarian trilogy at that time. Over the years, the rights to Conan have been held by different entities, but in 2020 they were acquired by Netflix. This sparked Rodriguez to approach Netflix with his idea. Initially, it appeared as though the project would move forward, but subsequently, the rights were lost, and the project was ultimately cancelled.

Meanwhile, Amazon has attempted to revive Conan as well, with plans for a TV show in development at their streaming service. However, before this could happen, Netflix obtained the rights. Now, it’s thought that the Conan intellectual property is once again under the control of Conan Properties International (CPI), a subsidiary of Heroic Signatures. This company also manages the rights for several other works by author Robert E. Howard, such as Solomon Kane and Kull the Conqueror.

Although there’s a chance that someone might take up the Conan project and bring it to completion eventually, there are whispers suggesting that Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering reprising his iconic role from his early success days as an older version of the comic book character. At present though, for devoted Conan fans, all they can hold onto are these rumors and dashed expectations, since, despite Rodriguez’s interest in reviving “Conan the Barbarian,” it appears that the project is not moving forward at this time.

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2025-05-05 14:32