Only an hour or so ago I put up today’s Outtakes collection of news clips, at the bottom of which was the rumor that Brett Ratner was being courted by Nu Image to helm their Conan re-do. I didn’t want to push the story because it felt like hot air. And, according to Latino Review’s El Mayimbe it is mostly that.

His report is that Nu Image did meet with Ratner, but also with a bunch of other directors: Neil Marshall, James McTeigue, Neveldine and Taylor, etc. El Mayimbe says that if Nu Image had their way the man in the director’s chair would be Robert Rodriguez, but his schedule prevents that from happening. Meanwhile, they still plan to meet with Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto, 28 Weeks Later) and, in all likelihood, you, if you can be in LA on Monday or Tuesday. Remember, though, it’s just a meeting. Nu Image might buy you a nice arugula salad, but that doesn’t mean you’ve got a job, or even a chance.

All of these names should give you a pretty good idea of where the studio wants this to go. While Ratner is probably not a name to be even vaguely concerned about with respect to Conan, I’m having a good time imagining the ideas Nu Image might be receptive to, given the names in question.

And I’m just realizing that I should have pasted Ratner’s face onto the snake above. My Photoshop skills on this tiny laptop are not very l33t.