Celebrities often go to great lengths in order to bring authenticity to the big screen. Many actors are well-known for performing their own stunts including Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. 1982’s Conan The Barbarian may not be the best movie in Schwarzenegger’s filmography, however, it was one of those films that got him international fame.
Schwarzenegger performed most of his stunts in the movie, even in the sequence where his character is chased by a pack of wild dogs. In the scene, Conan climbs a huge rock and falls into a cave.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually chased by wild dogs in 1982’s Conan The Barbarian
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about his iconic 1982 movie Conan The Barbarian in his autobiography Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, which was released in 2012. He talked about this one specific scene where he was chased by wild dogs in the movie. The actor explained that a pack of German Shepherds was arranged and he was not very keen on shooting the scene.
The director of the movie, John Milius, assured him that everything is under control. Then the crew sewed raw meat to his costume and the scene was filmed.
Arnold Schwarzenegger had to get 12 stitches
In the scene, the actor climbs a huge rock in order to escape the dogs, however, the scene went horribly wrong and the actor fell down. Schwarzenegger wrote,
“They bit at my pants and dragged me down off the rock, and I fell ten feet onto my back.”
It was revealed that the actor got 12 stitches to close up a wound on his back. He went right back to work after healing up.
Conan the Barbarian was released in 1982
Conan the Barbarian received mixed reviews but it left a lasting impact on the fantasy genre and solidified Schwarzenegger’s status as an action movie star. The movie made $79 million at the global box office on a budget of $20 million and received three Saturn Award nominations in 1983, including Best Fantasy Film, Best Director, and Best Music. It won the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film.
For cinephiles, the movie is a beloved classic in the fantasy genre. Even today, it manages to attract audiences with its adventurous tale of swords, sorcery, and vengeance.
Source: Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
