Rumors and speculation are circulating around the Internets this morning that Lionsgate and NU Image/Millennium films have finally cast the main role of Conan in their upcoming reboot of the franchise. Apparently, 41-year-old Austrian actor Roland Kickinger is in talks to play the title role that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous in the 1982 classic Conan the Barbarian.
Sure, that makes sense, they want someone similar to Arnold, right? But wait, it gets a bit odder. Like Schwarzenegger, Kickinger is a bodybuilder- turned-actor from Austria. And, Kickinger also had a role as a T-800 in the Terminator franchise, which he plays in Warner Bros.’ current Terminator Salvation. And, to push it even farther over the edge, Kickinger actually played Schwarzenegger in a movie — the 2005 A&E biopic about the actor-turned-politician called See Arnold Run. I know, right?
For the moment, the deal isn’t done and few details on the new movie have been revealed. Filming is expected to start in the fall in Bulgaria and as we told you before, Marcus Nispel, of New Line’s recent Friday the 13th reboot, is set to direct. At least if Kicklinger does end up playing the role of Conan, his name is a lot easier to spell — which is great for those of us who will have to write it a thousand times until the movie comes out.
