Mickey Rourke was in, then he was out, and then he was in again. But now it seems he's walked away from Marcus Nispel's Conan for good, some say in favour of Tarsem Singh's War of the Gods (possibly aka Dawn of War). But fear not. Once more into the fantasy movie breach steps Ron Perlman. Which, given that Conan is shooting in Bulgaria like now, must come as something as a relief to all concerned.
Conan, of course, will by no means be new territory for the man who in the last three years alone has turned out for In the Name of the King, Hellboy 2, Outlander, The Mutant Chronicles and Season of the Witch. He's recently been busy with his TV biker drama Sons of Anarchy. Good job Corin is just a supporting role then (a very small one in the original Conan the Barbarian, filled by actor, bodybuilder and CIA linguist William Smith) allowing Perlman to squeeze him into his hectic schedule.
Still, he doesn't sound insignificant. According to the casting call, Corin is "powerfully built, intelligent, graceful, a master swordsman, skilled blacksmith, and de facto leader of the Cimmerians". Midwife too: he apparently cuts Conan out of his dying wife, and struggles to raise the rebellious youth alone, teaching him "the meaning of the sword". Is that the Riddle of Steel that we know and love?
Conan stars Jason Momoa as the man himself, and should be out before year's end. More news as it arrives.