New Animated Series Based on Conan the Barbarian in Development by Clone Wars Creator

Since Conan the Barbarian first burst onto the scene in 1932 through the pages of Weird Tales, the character has enjoyed a rich legacy across nearly every form of media. Most famously, Arnold Schwarzenegger brought the iconic warrior to life in the 1982 film and its 1984 sequel, Conan the Destroyer. Now, a fresh interpretation of Conan is on the horizon, spearheaded by one of the most celebrated animation directors in the industry.

At this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was revealed that Genndy Tartakovsky is developing an animated series centered on Conan the Barbarian in collaboration with Cartoon Network Studios. Tartakovsky is a titan in the animation realm, known for creating some of Cartoon Network’s most beloved series, including Dexter’s Laboratory, Primal, Samurai Jack, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. During the announcement, he shared that he has been advocating for an animated Conan since 2008.

The lengthy development process can be attributed to the recent success of his adult fantasy horror series, Primal, as well as the conclusion of Samurai Jack in 2017. Tartakovsky also expressed his deep admiration for Robert E. Howard’s original works. This passion is evident in his body of work, which often features a rugged, stoic hero battling against evil. Primal, in particular, feels like a spiritual cousin to Conan, following the journey of a caveman named Spear and his T-Rex companion, Fang, through a dark, prehistoric landscape. Emphasizing minimalist storytelling, Primal had no dialogue in its first season, mirroring Conan’s own sparse communication style. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Tartakovsky adopt similar narrative techniques in this new series.

While a trailer hasn’t been released yet, as the project is still in its early stages, a poster and a brief synopsis have been shared. The poster features a close-up of Conan, teeth gritted and ready for battle. The logline reads:

After finding love in the pirate queen, Bêlit, a battle-hardened Conan defies gods, fate, and even death to save her from a dark sorcery that threatens to destroy everything.

Bêlit is a well-known character from Conan’s universe, first introduced in Howard’s short story “Queen of the Black Coast.” Unfortunately, that story marks her only appearance in Howard’s novels, as she meets a tragic end. However, her character has been further developed in later works, including Poul Anderson’s novel Conan the Rebel and various Marvel Comics series.

Currently, there is no set release date for Tartakovsky’s animated series.