Ratner not yet keen on “Conan”

Thanks to a leak by producer Avi Lerner and premature reporting by the LA Times, the assumption that Brett Ratner would direct the “Conan” film franchise is just that—presumptuous and untrue.

Sort of. Apparently, budget negotiations are still being hammered out and Ratner insists he will direct “Beverly Hills Cop 4” (seriously, another one?) before Conan production commences.

From MTV’s Splash page:

“Let me make this very clear. I am not doing ‘Conan‘ now. This is totally premature,” stated Ratner. “For now, ‘Conan’ is only a development deal. I have a deal at Paramount and I’m doing ‘Beverly Hills Cop [4]‘ first, no matter what. Avi shouldn’t be telling you or anyone else in the press what I’m doing.”

Even Paramount is upset about the “Conan” deal, as it puts their schedule and plans for “Beverly Hills Cop 4″ in a bit of jeopardy. Ratner’s involvement hinges entirely on whether Lerner is willing to wait for him to complete his Beverly Hills installment — and Lerner is so eager to get “Conan” up and running that he may be announcing another director by the time you read this.