The director Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted for his breakout movie,Conan the Barbarian,told the Austrian action legend he should change his signature look. Schwarzenegger first rose to prominence when he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Debut Acting in a Motion Picture for his appearance in 1976’sStay Hungry, before following it with the acclaimed bodybuilding docudramaPumping Iron. Hisbreakthrough role as an action icon came with 1982’s John Milius sword-and-sorcery epicConan the Barbarian, but the director could have been very different if things had gone to Schwarzenegger’s original plan.
It seems that theTerminator 2star originally wanted the project to be helmed by American animator and filmmaker Ralph Bakshi, who made the dark fantasyFire and Iceand the animated 1978 epicThe Lord of the Rings. In a recent interview withEmpire Magazine, Bakshi, now retired, revealed that Schwarzenegger took him to lunch to ask him to direct the project and thathe agreed to it on the condition that the star ditched his iconic muscular look. The star apparently never got back to the director again. Check out Bakshi’s comments below:
“He took me to lunch. My friend Frank Frazetta used to paint the Conan book covers, and he drew the character lithe and tight, like a panther. Not muscular. So I told Schwarzenegger, T’ll do the film, but you should lose a few pounds. Never heard from him again!”
What These Comments Mean ForConan The Barbarian& Schwarzenegger
The Star Was Right To Have The Courage Of His Convictions
While it is understandable from Bakshi’s comments why he requested that condition, he clearly did not see the future of action movies in the ’80s and ’90s as being dominated by muscular physiques.History has proven Schwarzeneggerto be correct about his approach, and to not back down when it came to his physically imposing frame. The actor made his name in the world of bodybuilding originally, so his large physique has always been a defining feature of who he is, even to this day.
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Schwarzenegger believed he needed to be uncompromising with his demands, and this is likely why Bakshi didn’t get the directorial offer. The success of the film, which catapulted Schwarzenegger to superstardom, established him as the go-to action star of the decade and ushered in a new era of physicality in action movies. There is every chance that theConan the Barbarianfranchisecould have been a success even with a more lithe and slim lead, but it may not have been the iconic movie it became.
Our Verdict OnConan The Barbarian’s Muscle-Bound Lead
The Scope Of The Movie Fits With Its Star’s Imposing Frame
The epic scope ofConan the Barbarianis one that suits a lead character who is imposing, unflinching, and enormous in stature, and this made Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilder frame the perfect choice. The fact the Austrian pretty much redefined the action movie genre shows he was right not to listen to Bakshi’s demands, and shows the importance of stars investing in themselves and believing in what they have to offer. It is hard to imagineConan the Barbarianwithout Schwarzenegger’s muscular barbarian, and despite theJason Momoa-led remakeflopping, the character’s pop culture status as a muscular icon is pretty cemented.
Conan the Barbarianspawned a less successful sequel,Conan the Destroyer, in 1984.
Conan the Barbarian
Cast
Conan the Barbarian, released in 1982, follows Conan, portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, on a quest for vengeance after his parents are killed by the sinister Thulsa Doom. Trained in combat, Conan forms an alliance with thieves Valeria and Subotai, embarking on a perilous journey involving a king’s missing daughter.
