First looks at Jason Momoa as Conan...

[stonester1]

Stargate Atlantis.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I didn't think Mamoa was that good on SGA, but he's Academy Award caliber compared to Arnold back then.

I don't know, I thought Arnie was quite entertaining. I think people underrate Arnie's mugging and delivery even if wouldn't be Academy material in the classic sense.

It was entertaining in a turn off your brain kind of way, but c'mon his delivery was hilarious. Like when he was yelling at their God or whatever "TA HELL WITH YOU"

Maybe it's been so long I don't know better any more but I doubt Jason Momoa will be as compelling in the role as Arnie was.

 

[Admiral_Young]

According to this wikipedia article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_(2011)

it appears that "Conan" is filming in Bulgaria not British Columbia...but yes it does look rather foresty. I don't know he still looks too much like Ronon Dex for me to judge yet. I'm sort of looking forward to this film but I'll wait until I see a trailer for it before making my decision.

 

[Angela 0077]

I really like the images.

He may not look like the first Conan but he has the muscle

Just hopefully he can act and make this movie a hit.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Ugh. Looks too Stargate-y in scenery and costuming. But I'll try to keep an open mind. Momoa does have a nice, arch sense of humor that's appropriate to the character.

 

[ngc7293]

There was a movie called The Barbarians. The twins in it might have been body builders (Peter Paul and David Paul).
The Conan movies were not much for acting so if this other guy can't act, so what?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^^ Sounds like an airtight argument to me.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

According to this wikipedia article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_%282011%29

it appears that "Conan" is filming in Bulgaria not British Columbia...but yes it does look rather foresty. I don't know he still looks too much like Ronon Dex for me to judge yet. I'm sort of looking forward to this film but I'll wait until I see a trailer for it before making my decision.

According to IMDB too - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816462/locations - filmed in Bulgaria.

Actually those three bottom pictures remind me of Gerard Butler's Attila.

Personally I find it interesting how often maori and polynesian actors get cast in these non-maori and non-polynesian roles. Native american actors always have to hope for some stereotypical two-line roles at best, but these polynesian guys get a lot of love.

Keisha-Castle Hughes, maori, as Virgin Mary in Nativity Story.
Manu Bennet, maori, as Crixus in Spartacus.
Temuera Morrison, maori, in Star Wars as stormtroopers and that bounty hunter guy.
Dwayne Johnson, samoan, as the Rock in many films.
Jason Momoa, polynesian something, as Conan.
Kevin Smith, mixed tongan, as Ares in Xena and Hercules.
Jay La'Gaia was in Legend of the Seeker's season 1 as Richard's friend, and also in Xena.

Maori and polynesian actors don't seem to share the same problem with native american actors, who never get cast as non-natives and their native roles usually are very sad and stereotypical. But here are them polynesians as mothers of Jesus, gladiators of Rome, fantasy characters and ancient greek gods.

Cool.

I'm glad that maori and polynesian actors get cast so often in such diverse roles. I'd wish the same was true for Graham Greene too, he was awesome in Maverick - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_nYT8WhFjk

 

[JarodRussell]

LOL, yes, because the actor is from Stargate, suddenly the pictures look stargate-y. If it was a different actor, you wouldn't say that. Think about it.

 

[iguana_tonante]

It's a figher's physique, not a muscle-builder's physique. He looks the part of an itinerant warrior.

I agree with you. Casting body-builders as fighters and warriors has always seemed ridiculous to me. They would be slow and clumsy and they wouldn't be able to reach at their sword in the scabbard.

Now I'm not really convinced about the brownish wavy hair (I would have preferred if they had kept the comics' look), but it's kind of a minor complaint.

 

[Sean_McCormick]

According to this wikipedia article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_(2011)

it appears that "Conan" is filming in Bulgaria not British Columbia...but yes it does look rather foresty. I don't know he still looks too much like Ronon Dex for me to judge yet. I'm sort of looking forward to this film but I'll wait until I see a trailer for it before making my decision.

According to IMDB too - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816462/locations - filmed in Bulgaria.

Actually those three bottom pictures remind me of Gerard Butler's Attila.

Personally I find it interesting how often maori and polynesian actors get cast in these non-maori and non-polynesian roles. Native american actors always have to hope for some stereotypical two-line roles at best, but these polynesian guys get a lot of love.

Keisha-Castle Hughes, maori, as Virgin Mary in Nativity Story.
Manu Bennet, maori, as Crixus in Spartacus.
Temuera Morrison, maori, in Star Wars as stormtroopers and that bounty hunter guy.
Dwayne Johnson, samoan, as the Rock in many films.
Jason Momoa, polynesian something, as Conan.
Kevin Smith, mixed tongan, as Ares in Xena and Hercules.
Jay La'Gaia was in Legend of the Seeker's season 1 as Richard's friend, and also in Xena.

Maori and polynesian actors don't seem to share the same problem with native american actors, who never get cast as non-natives and their native roles usually are very sad and stereotypical. But here are them polynesians as mothers of Jesus, gladiators of Rome, fantasy characters and ancient greek gods.

Cool.

I'm glad that maori and polynesian actors get cast so often in such diverse roles. I'd wish the same was true for Graham Greene too, he was awesome in Maverick - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_nYT8WhFjk

Selma Hayek, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, EDWARD JAMES OLMOS.

 

[Venardhi]

Most of that big muscle mass in a body builder is 'fast-twitch' muscle fiber which actually makes them pretty quick as long as the need for speed is only momentary. Body builders can actually come off faster from the block than Olympic sprinters.

Not to say I prefer that look for warrior characters, but 'slow and clumsy' rarely describes them accurately.

 

[Pauln6]

Apart from Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones all the acting in Conan was pretty dire. However, the movie was a masterpiece that remains one of my favourites today. As long as they don't have too many actors with American accents, plus a decent score, and operatic choreography, the crummy acting will be fine.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I really wasn't so sure about the idea of Momoa as Conan, but he looks a lot better than I thought he would. A different interpretation of the Conan character.

 

[JoeZhang]

Naw I don't buy it and if SGA is anything to go by Momoa will be out-acted by his horse.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

*Bleh*

I can wait for the inevitable DVD, I must say.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[iguana_tonante]

Most of that big muscle mass in a body builder is 'fast-twitch' muscle fiber which actually makes them pretty quick as long as the need for speed is only momentary. Body builders can actually come off faster from the block than Olympic sprinters.

Not to say I prefer that look for warrior characters, but 'slow and clumsy' rarely describes them accurately.

I stand corrected. I always thought that all the muscle mass would be unwieldy. Of course this doesn't solve the problem about flexibility and stamina.

 

[Checkmate]

Naw I don't buy it and if SGA is anything to go by Momoa will be out-acted by his horse.

This.

 

[Nardpuncher]

Most of that big muscle mass in a body builder is 'fast-twitch' muscle fiber which actually makes them pretty quick as long as the need for speed is only momentary. Body builders can actually come off faster from the block than Olympic sprinters.

Not to say I prefer that look for warrior characters, but 'slow and clumsy' rarely describes them accurately.

I stand corrected. I always thought that all the muscle mass would be unwieldy. Of course this doesn't solve the problem about flexibility and stamina.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but flexibility need not be affected by musculature either. Tom Platz, a bodybuilder with enormous legs, could do full splits. I tried looking for a video of it... maybe I'll find it.

The thing is this new guy would be better off in a prequel to The Scorpion King than as the new Conan I think.

 

[Caliburn24]

I wonder which composer is going to try to compete with Basil Poledouris' finest work?

I hope they spring some big bucks for someone good who likes to use a full orchestra and none of that synthesizer stuff. And then tell whoever they pick to go crazy big with the themes and melodies.