The Beastmaster
Released 1982. “Born with the courage of an eagle, the strength of a black tiger, and the power of a god.”
Don Coscarelli and Paul Pepperman adapted Andre Norton's 1959 novel The Beast Master in the early 1980s, dramatically reimagining the science fiction story as a sword-and-sorcery epic. With Pepperman serving as both co-writer and producer. The film premiered in August 1982 and was acquired by United Artists for domestic distribution. The Beastmaster became a television phenomenon throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, airing so frequently on HBO that comedian Dennis Miller joked the network's initials stood for "Hey, Beastmaster's On"—with TBS earning the nickname "The Beastmaster Station".
Marc Singer as "Dar"
Tanya Roberts as "Kiri"
John Amos as "Seth"
Rip Torn as "Maax"
Entertainment Weekly “Don Coscarelli & Paul Pepperman reclaim The Beastmaster Screenplay Copyright!”
Entertainment Weekly reported in 2020 that The Beastmaster screenplay rights had reverted to director Don Coscarelli and co-writer Paul Pepperman, finally enabling them to develop a remake after years of fan requests.
Spectrum News Chronicles The Search For Lost “The Beastmaster” Negative
Spectrum News reported in 2020 that the screenplay rights for The Beastmaster had just reverted to filmmaker Don Coscarelli and his writing partner Paul Pepperman, opening the door for a potential reboot—though the duo acknowledged that for them and fans worldwide, there will never be anything quite like the original.
“A veritable comic book adventure come alive.”
— Kevin Thomas, The Los Angeles Times
“It succeeds through sheer, unironic earnestness... indelibly burned into my cerebellum like a psychological mark of Ar.”
— The Craggus