Is 'The Legend of Conan' Setting Up a New Cinematic Universe?
There may be more behind the recent news that a sequel to "Conan the Barbarian" is coming. Its sequel, "The Legend of Conan," may very well set up a new cinematic universe that to rival Marvel's.
The report says that this recent news is based on recent developments that have to do with Swedish producer Fredrick Malmberg acquiring the rights to all of author Robert E. Howard's works. Malmberg was responsible for trying to bring back Conan to the big screen, with the 2011 Jason Momoa starrer and is also involved in "The Legend." Malmberg set up a new company called Cabinet Entertainment, who own's the rights to Howard's works.
Apparently, he has big plans for those materials.
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"These days, it comes down to brands and characters and we are looking at long-term possibilities. We look at how Marvel played out with its rich based of characters, and this too is a universe that lends itself to exploitation in TV and film. There aren't many libraries like this," he told Deadline.
Howard's collection of stories are vast -- it is said to be 800 stories or more. There are literally hundreds of characters in the collection that could potentially be turned into a movie or a sequel of movies, CinemaBlend reported. These include the likes of Solomon Kane and Kull of Atlantis. Cabinet Entertainment is sitting on all of these stories. Malmberg's statements, especially in relation to Marvel, could mean that he is looking at the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a model in developing a new one.
Notably, Malmberg also mentioned that the big- creen may not be the only place for adaptations of Howard's works. With the success of "The Game of Thrones" on primetime TV, it means that there is a market on TV for these kinds "high concept, violent" and "fantasy-filled" stories. And this is one area that Malmberg is also exploring with Cabinet Entertainment.
