Arrow Video is producing The Conan Chronicles 4K Limited Edition Blu-ray set that is set to arrive early in 2024.
The set contains both of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan movies; 1982’s Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer from 1984.
Thief. Warrior. Gladiator. King.
Ripped from the pages of Robert E. Howard’s beloved pulp stories, 1982’s Conan the Barbarian and its sequel, 1984’s Conan the Destroyer, not only popularized a new subgenre – the sword-and-sorcery film – but also made a cinematic icon of the star playing the titular hero, former bodybuilding sensation Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Conan the Barbarian, from maverick filmmaker John Milius, sees the Cimmerian thief and future king rise up from slavery to become an unparalleled and fearsome warrior, intent on vengeance against the evil snake cult that slaughtered his family long ago, led by the shape-shifting sorcerer Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). In the sequel, helmed by action veteran Richard Fleischer, Conan finds himself escorting a young princess on a quest for a mythical horn that will awaken a slumbering god, battling an onslaught of evil beasts, wizards and cannibals along the way.
At long last, these glorious odes to the days of high adventure have been restored in stunning 4K with hours of bonus features and heart-racing Atmos remixes that immerse you in the action, accompanied throughout by electrifying music scores by the late Basil Poledouris (RoboCop). If you do not listen… then to hell with you!
There’s a healthy bundle of extras in the set, and they are listed below.
- Brand new 4K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of both films
- Three versions of Conan the Barbarian via seamless branching: Theatrical Cut (127 mins), International Cut (129 mins) and Extended Cut (130 mins)
- Newly restored original mono audio and remixed Dolby Atmos surround audio for both films
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing on both films
- Archive commentary for Conan the Barbarian by John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Archive commentaries for Conan the Destroyer by Richard Fleischer and actors Olivia d’Abo, Tracey Walter and Sarah Douglas
- Brand new commentaries for both films by genre historian Paul M. Sammon
- Newly assembled isolated score tracks in lossless stereo for both films
- Newly filmed interviews for Conan the Barbarian with production artist William Stout, costume designer John Bloomfield, special effects crew members Colin Arthur and Ron Hone, actors Jorge Sanz and Jack Taylor, assistant editor Peck Prior, visual effects animators Peter Kuran and Katherine Kean, filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Northman) and authors John Walsh and Alfio Leotto
- Newly filmed interviews for Conan the Destroyer with Bloomfield and Walsh, casting director Johanna Ray, art director Kevin Phipps and stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong
- Conan Unchained: The Making of Conan, an archive documentary from 2000 featuring interviews with Schwarzenegger, Milius, Stone, Jones, Lopez, Bergman, Poledouris and several others
- Archive bonus features for both films, including interviews with sword master Kiyoshi Yamasaki, writers Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway and Poledouris, outtakes and more
- A Tribute to Basil Poledouris, a series of videos produced by the Úbeda Film Music Festival, including video of Poledouris conducting a concert of music from Conan the Barbarian in 2006 (remixed in 5.1 surround)
- Theatrical trailers and image galleries for both films
- Double-sided fold-out posters for both films
- Twelve double-sided collectors’ postcards
- Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Walter Chaw and John Walsh, and archive set reports for both films by Paul M. Sammon
The Conan Chronicles are available to pre-order now and will be released on January 16, 2024.
