Frederik Malmberg, CEO of Paradox Entertainment has talked with IGN on future movie projects concerning several characters created by Robert E. Howard.

As my fellow blogger Al Harron judiciously noted, when Mr. Malmberg is speaking of the Howardian-related movies he does it now mostly through chats with journalists or websites crew from European sites.

Another slightly altered version of the Conan script  appeared on the web this week. It is reported to closely resemble the earlier version.  Also according to Mr Zetterbeg, the studio owning it has “sent a cease-and-desist letter to the site that published it.”  To avoid any legal action, you won’t see Al’s thoughtful comparison of the two screenplay versions on TC.

There seems to be a curse affecting the communication of any who are connected to the Conan movie project. But neither Paradox, nor  anyone else from this production (to my knowledge), has ever sunken as low as ex-Blackwater guard Andrew McLaren.

Lately, he (or someone who pretends to be him) proclaimed everywhere on the internet that he had been offered the role. McLaren, apparently, put on a wig, took his little brother’s plastic sword and posted the picture shown on the left on Facebook. Yes, this guy believed he would make a perfect Conan.

During the last few days, he has apparently been busy on IMDB deleting all the messages where he announced he got the part. Might it be because Joakim Zetterberg from Paradox has denied on the Official REH Forum that the actor had been chosen yet?

As you probably know, casting is underway for the Conan movie. So far the casting agents have met with over 200 actors just for the role of Conan! To end any and all premature rumors right away – no role has been signed yet, we’re not even leaning towards any one actor for any role.

While the focus is on Conan at the moment, casting sessions have also taken place for some of the other characters. This is all in the so-called open casting call. The producers and director have also compiled a wish-list of actors they’d like to see in specific roles. This list is now being looked into in more detail in regards of the availability of each actor. As casting continues, the search for Conan is being extended to casting calls also in the UK.

McLaren has obviously at least one quality: his perseverance. Two other (only slightly less pathetic) photographs of this “actor” clad in loincloth appeared on his IMDB page.

In retrospect, The Barbarian bros didn’t loook too bad as  ‘Clonans’ when I compare them to Andrew, though I disgress.

This movie project needs an actor worthy of its script. McLaren probably fits better than most.

Time to laugh is over, gentle readers. I hope you had fun. Now let’s talk about cinema.

Matthew Sand, who penned the script for Ninja Assassin, produced by the  Wachowski brothers of Matrix fame,  revealed last week that he composed a script for the Kull movie:

I did a screenplay for Kull, and while we were developing the screenplay, they did a great comic book. It was fun to see my interpretation of the Robert E. Howard literature go one way and the comic going another way. They were interesting bookends on what Howard did. But I love the comic book, and it couldn’t be more different from what I wrote.

A great comic book? I know a lot of REH fans, shieldbearer Al first among them, who would disagree.

To learn that his screenplay is not connected to Arvid Nelson’s nonsensical  take  is truly a great relief to me, though I have serious doubts about Matthew Sand’’s tastes when I hear him praising this most ‘un-Howardian’ comic series. What’s better: Denise Di Novi will produce it with Mr Malmberg. The name of this woman has been attached to several movies directed by Tim Burton. It is not sure if this film project on Howard’s Atlantean will make it to the big screen, but to know that someone whose resume includes the production of true pieces of art will be involved — as opposed to Avi Lerner’s turkeys –  sounds like a major improvement. The man who controls the studio doing the movie on our Cimmerian can’t compete.

The most exciting news (to this blogger) was hearing that the film based on Howard’s The Vultures of Wahpeton, announced in 2006, was still going to be made, as well as the word from Malmberg that the Dark Agnes movie is still moving forward. Michael Tabb, an almost unknown, will write a screenplay for the Vultures. Mrs. Di Novi is supposed to produce the film on the red-headed sword-woman, Dark Agnes de la Fere.

We have no guarantee they will do better than what leaked thus far on the Conan film. They can hardly do worse.