Don’t expect Jason Momoa to attend a future anniversary celebration of his role in Conan the Barbarian.
Speaking to British GQ for a profile piece, Momoa pulled up to the 2011 film, in which he starred as the sword-wielding character of the legend, in a remake of the 1982 film that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“I’ve been a part of a lot of things that really suck, and movies where it’s out of your hands,” Momoa told British GQ. “Conan was one of them. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had, and it [was] taken and turned into a big pile of ****.
The beginning of the film has been somewhat rocky. The film was put on hold at Warner Bros. before Lionsgate bought the rights. In June 2009, Brett Ratner was announced as director ahead of time before German filmmaker Markus Nispel was enlisted. Momoa was cast in January 2010.
The budget of the film was $90 million and it was released in 3D. It was raved by critics and sank like a rock, receiving a 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Conan grossed $48 million worldwide.
Momoa, however, recovered well. Prior to the release of Conan, he debuted on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Dothraki chieftain Khal Drogo.
Since then, he has been cast as Aquaman in the DC Comics Extended Universe, appearing in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and again in 2017’s Justice League and 2018’s Aquaman.
He also had a supporting role in 2021’s Dune, and has a new Aquaman on the horizon with Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom.