Quote from: KiramidHead on Today at 04:50:26 AMAn interesting bit of info I found in Stone: The Controversies, Excesses, and Exploits of a Radical Filmmaker by James Riordan. Scott was approached to direct Oliver Stone's batshit insane draft of Conan the Barbarian.QuoteSince the studio wouldn't accept Stone as director, Pressman approached Ridley Scott. Scott was enthusiastic, and Stone wrote the project with him in mind. Though he liked Stone's first draft, Scott then became interested in doing another film instead.
"Ridley Scott backed out at the last second," Stone elaborates. "I begged him not to. I went down on my knees to him. This was after he made The Duelists. Alien was finished, but we hadn't seen it yet. He said yes, and then he said no. It broke our hearts when he decided to do Blade Runner instead."
Going by the time frame, I'm guessing he backed off Conan for the same reasons he quit Dune, not wanting to deal with the large scale production after his brother's death.
QuoteOliver Stone had plans for a four-hour, $40 million Conan the Barbarian with Ridley Scott at the helm. But John Milius had very different ideas.
QuoteStone's one hope was a "British newcomer from the world of commercials," Ridley Scott, who had caught Stone's eye with his 1977 historical drama debut, The Duellists. Pinning his hopes on Scott, Stone traveled to London with Pressman to discuss the project with the English director, who had expressed an interest. However, Scott was busy finishing Alien at the time and told them that there was "something else" he was keen to work on next. That something else was Blade Runner, of course.