Xavier Gens, director of Hitman, has been rumored to be the director for Nu Image's Conan. IGN has heard from a source inside the production that Gens is not yet signed to direct Conan, but is only one of the contenders that producers have met with.

Gens has confirmed that he has met with Nu Image about directing, and states that if hired he "would like to come back to the original material with the influence of the John Milius movie. But nothing is signed, and I have a personal project in first who's name is Vanikoro."

The Conan screenplay will be written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (Sahara), based on the original writings of Conan creator, Robert E. Howard. Nu Image hopes to begin production in late '08, pending the end of the WGA strike.

The character of Conan gained popular attention following Arnold Schwarzenegger's portrayal of the character in the films Conan The Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer.