Conan the 2nd: Is Kickinger Next Barbarian?

Maybe Not Arnold, but Kickinger can play like Arnold…

The Hollywood Reporter says that Austrian actor Roland Kickinger is in talks to play the title role in the remake of “Conan the Barbarian.” Or, rather than remake, I should say the new adaptation of the comic book by Robert E. Howard. Marcus S. Nispel is directing.

Of course another Austrian actor played the part the last time around–it was a young Austrian body builder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was just at that time feeling his way into acting, with roles as muscled, inarticulate action heroes providing the bridge from lifting heavy things and showing up muscles to playing real characters. Schwarzenegger never really became much of an actor, so I guess it was a short bridge–but he became extraordinarily adept at finding movies and roles that showed off his limited charm.

Kickinger has a bit of Arnold in his background. He played a T-800 in “Terminator Salvation”–not the lead stuff of his Austrian compadre, but same series nonetheless. He also played Schwarzenegger in a brief scen in “See Arnold Run,” a 2005 biopic of Schwarzenegger.

So there are lots of similarities. The one surprise is that Kickinger is 41 years old. Nothing wrong with that, and if he’s the best guy for the job, more power to him. But I’m just surprised the producers Lionsgate and NuImage/Millenium didn’t go for a 20 somethign model or soccer player or something like that. Just someone to bring in the kiddies, if you know what I mean.