<P> Ideas for a Conan film were proposed as early as 1970; Pressman and associate producer Edward Summer began a concerted effort to get the film made in 1975 . It took them two years to obtain the film rights, after which they recruited Schwarzenegger for the lead role and Oliver Stone to draft a script . Pressman lacked capital for the endeavor, and in 1979, after having his proposals for investments rejected by the major studios, he sold the project to Dino De Laurentiis . Milius was appointed as director and he rewrote Stone's script . The final screenplay integrated scenes from Howard's stories and from films such as Kwaidan and Seven Samurai . Filming took place in Spain over five months in the regions around Madrid and Almería . The sets, designed by Ron Cobb, were based on Dark Age cultures and Frank Frazetta's paintings of Conan . Milius eschewed optical effects, preferring to realize his ideas with mechanical constructs and optical illusions . Schwarzenegger performed most of his own stunts, and two types of swords, costing $10,000 each, were forged for his character . The editing process took over a year, and several violent scenes were cut out . </P> <P> Conan was a commercial success for its backers, grossing more than $100 million at box offices around the world, although the revenue fell short of the level that would qualify the film as a blockbuster . The film earned Schwarzenegger worldwide recognition . Conan has been frequently released on home media, the sales of which had increased the film's gross to more than $300 million by 2007 . The film's success led to the 1984 sequel Conan the Destroyer . </P> <P> A sword is forged by a blacksmith, who then shows it to his young son, Conan, as he tells him of the "Riddle of Steel", an aphorism on the importance of the metal to their people, the Cimmerians . One day, the Cimmerians are massacred by a band of raiders led by Thulsa Doom; Conan's father is killed by dogs, and his sword is taken by Doom to decapitate Conan's mother, aided by Doom's entrancing gaze . The children are taken into slavery and then chained to work a large mill, the Wheel of Pain . Conan survives into adulthood, becoming a massive, muscular man . His master eventually trains him to be a gladiator; after winning countless fights and receiving training and education in the East, Conan is freed . He is soon chased by wild dogs and seeks refuge in a warrior's tomb, where he retrieves an ancient sword . Conan wanders the world, encountering a prophetic witch in a hut and then befriends Subotai, a Hyrkanian thief and archer . </P> <P> Following the witch's advice, Conan and Subotai go to the city of Zamora to seek out Doom . There, they meet Valeria, a female brigand . They burgle the Tower of Serpents, stealing jewels and other valuables from a shrine, slaying a giant snake in the process . After escaping with their loot, the thieves celebrate, and Conan has sex with Valeria . The city guards capture the trio and bring them to King Osrić, who requests they rescue his daughter--now a zealot in Doom's cult--for a handsome reward . Subotai and Valeria refuse to take up the quest; Conan, however, motivated by his hatred for Doom and his desire for vengeance, sets off alone to the villain's Temple of Set . </P>

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