Ah, what might have been (Or at least tell me what you think)!
I recently tripped over this spellbinding bit of tabloid speculation. I've never been able to confirm any of it myself, but it's been great fun to read, and I really think you'll enjoy it as well. Even if you can't verify a single part of it, I'd love to know whether you consider the following synopsis an improvement over what DEG used in 1985...
Rumor has it that three old friends of John Milius and Oliver Stone (those two, of course, did a brilliant job on CONAN THE BARBARIAN) got together one evening. Their names were Deric Washburn, Kevin Reynolds and Michael Cimino...whose collective output includes RED DAWN, SILENT RUNNING and THE DEER HUNTER. Together, they wrote a greatly dramatic and involving screenplay for RED SONJA. For some reason, DEG was not pleased by this script; they paid said trio of writers, then hired two other guys to retool it. It didn't help any that Cimino, the initial director, was making YEAR OF THE DRAGON back-to-back with this one; Dino DeLaurentiis wanted RED SONJA completed and in theaters yesterday, if not sooner. Accordingly, DeLaurentiis paid and dismissed Cimino, then hired Richard Fleischer to complete the task. Never mind that Fleischer's output included not one but several costly flops (DOCTOR DOOLITTLE, TORA TORA TORA, CHE!, THE JAZZ SINGER and CONAN THE DESTROYER) not even liked much in Europe, where Cimino's over-budgeted and over-everything anti-Western HEAVEN'S GATE is considered quite an achievement. Supposedly, Fleischer even re-cast and/or re-wrote several of the initial script's characters.
And that's the rumor. Read for yourself, and tell me if Michael Cimino should have directed RED SONJA...assuming this synopsis is indeed from the screenplay and "script bible" which he, Deric Washburn and Kevin Reynolds had crafted and were working from.
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In the Hyborian Kingdom, Red Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) has been beaten and raped, her family murdered, and her village burned to the ground because she has refused sexual advances by the royal guards of Gedren (Sandahl Bergman)—the powerful and wicked queen of Burkubane…which, in the Hyborian language, means “Land of Eternal Night.” Apparently, Queen Gedren has spent years searching for the perfect lover to satisfy her troops’ lieutenants; but when Sonja publicly denounces her, then strikes the queen across the face with a baton (which causes a permanent injury), Gedren’s rage reduces the young woman’s world to cinders. After being violated by a number of Gedren’s savage warriors, Sonja is left for dead. But a white ghostlike figure awakens Sonja, to endow her with great strength and a sword arm that has no equal…or does it?
Many years pass, and while Sonja perfects her talents as a warrior without peer, Queen Gedren (now wearing a golden mask to hide her disfigurement) plots to take possession of an all-powerful Talisman. Accompanied by her cruel henchman Ikol (Paul Smith, later cast as Falkon), her daughter Princess Beldra (Lara Naszinsky)—whose father happens to be Ikol—and an elite army of assassins, Gedren raids a holy temple and enslaves all but one of its Amazonian protectors. (The priestesses had been preparing to plunge the glowing green Talisman into total darkness to prevent its power from destroying the world, but the queen has other plans for it.) Varna (Janet Agren), the surviving priestess and Sonja’s sister, manages to escape Gedren’s wrath but is mortally wounded by the two of the queen’s soldiers. As she struggles to warn her sister, Varna enlists the aid of a mysterious swordsman, Prince Kalidor (Thomas "Fox" Waites of THE WARRIORS). He promises to help her and rides to Sonja with news of the Talisman and her dying sister.
Red Sonja has been studying the art of war with an ancient Chinese swordsman (Tad Horino) in a Tibetan monastery and has vowed never to give herself to a man unless he defeats her in one-on-one combat. When Kalidor arrives with his distressing news, the red-haired warrior realizes she has less than thirteen days to prevent Gedren from conquering—or destroying—the world. Sonja dismisses Kalidor and sets off on a solitary quest in the strange, hostile land to defeat her enemy. Along the way she reluctantly joins forces with the arrogant Prince Tarn (John Franklin, best known as "Isaac" from CHILDREN OF THE CORN), who has lost his kingdom of Hablok to Gedren, and his bumbling protector Noklaf (Gunnar Hansen of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE fame), yet continually refuses the help of Kalidor. The three travelers fight against the elements, rampaging marauders led by the master swordsman Brytag (James "Ajax" Remar, also from THE WARRIORS) and sorcerous beasts…while the mysterious Kalidor works like a guardian angel to protect them.
As they reach the edge of Burkubane, Sonja becomes disgusted with Tarn’s belligerence after having to rescue him from one of Gedren’s ambushes. Insulted, Tarn commands Noklaf to kill her. When Noklaf doesn’t, Tarn “banishes” him and Sonja. Finally losing her temper, Sonja draws her sword and is about to kill Tarn when Noklaf stops her. Sonja tells them it’s just as well; “I oughtn’t to soil my sword with the blood of a brat like you.”
Meanwhile, Queen Gedren has managed to capitalize upon her newfound power. Destroying kingdom after kingdom—particularly Toktyl—and vanquishing those who oppose her, she spreads her ruthlessness throughout the entire Hyborian world. From her castle in Burkubane, as she makes preparations to increase the power of the Talisman, her spies warn Gedren that Red Sonja is approaching to oppose her. But the evil queen is not at all concerned; the redheaded beauty is a long-lost sister of Gedren’s.
When Sonja and her party are saved by Kalidor from a subterranean sea dragon, she reconsiders her position toward the mysterious stranger. Perhaps she has been too hard on him. Red Sonja, Prince Tarn, and Noklaf invite Kalidor to join them on their quest to destroy Gedren and the evil talisman…but he quickly reveals that he is not some mercenary for hire. He is, in fact, the High Prince of Hyrkania—the man responsible for seeing that the talisman is plunged into darkness. Actually, Kalidor’s parents are King Subotai of Hyrkania and Queen Jehnna of Shadizar, who met via a mutual friend: Conan the Cimmerian, King of Aquilonia.
On the thirteenth and final day, the four travelers arrive at Queen Gedren’s castle and gain access to the palace through an underground passageway. They set free the Amazonian priestesses, who help them defeat Gedren’s royal guards. Kalidor and Sonja discover that the Talisman has become tremendously powerful. Fearful that he too will be consumed by the evil, Ikol attempts to flee with the palace jewels. But Tarn blocks his departure and sends the wicked sorcerer to his death. Before he can rejoin the others, however, the young prince is taken hostage by Gedren and Beldra…who demand the surrender of Sonja. Beldra forces Sonja to face her with weapons drawn. The two powerful rivals have a mighty battle, sword to sword. Tarn attempts to help Sonja, but he is no match for the wicked princess. Beldra mortally wounds Tarn and, in turn, is slain herself by Sonja. Enraged by the death of her daughter and heiress, who would have ruled Hablok, Gedren attacks Sonja in a frenzy…and easily disarms the exhausted red-haired warrior. Just as the “Queen of Eternal Night” is about to slay Sonja, the dying Tarn throws his sword like a boomerang into Gedren’s back, killing her instantly. With the last of his strength and breath, Tarn removes a jeweled bracelet—the Star of Hablok—from his wrist and tells Sonja to give it to Noklaf. “…Tell him he is now Prince of Hablok.”
During the aforementioned struggle, Kalidor manages to penetrate the city vaults with the help of Noklaf and the surviving Amazonian priestesses. They come face-to-face with the glowing green evil of the Talisman. Summoning all his power, Kalidor completes the task for Sonja. The Talisman is cast into a bottomless pit…and proceeds to seek revenge for its destruction: the evil fortress collapses down upon it! Sonja, Kalidor, Noklaf and the priestesses barely escape with their lives. Later, in the safety of the forest, Noklaf—now Prince Noklaf—and the remaining priestesses look on as spectators…while Kalidor reveals his attraction to Sonja and challenges her to a duel. If he bests her in combat, she must yield to him. Believing that he is no match for her, she agrees…but her sword is gone! Kalidor throws his own sword away and proceeds to grapple with her for the power of love. Sure enough, he wins her heart. She will become the High Princess of Hyrkania, while the priestesses go with Noklaf to rebuild Hablok and train its new army.
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Impressed much? Friends, purists, SONJA fans, lend me your feedback...Please and thank you.