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Brett Ratner still isn't officially signed on to direct the new Conan the Barbarian movie, but that hasn't stopped him saying his piece about what direction the film will take.

He told MTV: "The script is very cool, contemporary. It's not homage. It's not a remake, really. It's going back to the original source material - the mythology of the characters."

The iconic protagonist originated in a series of pulp novels written by Robert E. Howard back in the 1930s. The 1982 movie (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) took significant liberties with the character, including inventing a new back-story.

It does seem however that Ratner is very, very close to signing on for the project. "[Screenwriters Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain] just did an incredible, incredible job or else I wouldn't be risking it. Because I know how difficult it is to do these movies and its something that I'm really excited about."