300: Rise of an Empire

[Gabe99]

From Hero Complex:
'Percy Jackson' and 'Clash of the Titans' draw on same Greek myths but with epic differences

It was the 2007 hit film “300,” though, that truly captured the attention of Hollywood executives with $456 million in worldwide box office off a $67-million budget.

The Zack Snyder film, the highest-grossing March release ever, was based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel about King Leonidas and his doomed army of Spartans; Miller is preparing a follow-up now titled “Xerxes,” which begins about 10 years before the events of “300,” and Snyder has expressed interest in it as a film property as well. “It’s the battle of Marathon through my lens,” Miller said Wednesday. “I’ve finished the plot and I’m getting started on the artwork.”

Miller said he is not surprised Greece is resurgent in Hollywood. “Every generation returns to ancient Greece because, well, the stories are so damn good,” said the artist, who also directed last year’s “The Spirit.” Miller said that during his research trips to Greece he realized that the myth and history overlap begins to blur, which adds to the storytelling allure. “The fact and the myth are inseparable and, believe me, when you go sailing for a while in the Aegean Sea, you start believing in Poseidon.”

 

[Ratcrawler]

Interesting. I wonder if Iran is gonna have a fit and ban this one too.

 

[Ratcrawler]

Interesting. I wonder if Iran is gonna have a fit and ban this one too.

 

[Nightmare]

Interesting. I wonder if Iran is gonna have a fit and ban this one too.

 

[bullets]

I'm not too into the prequels these days.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

**** you Frank Miller.

 

[Drz]

I'm excited for this. I just hope he gets the same colorist for his comic like he had for 300. Also i hope Zack Snyder won't add any "mutant" or whatever freak soldiers for the Persians. -__-

 

[Ratcrawler]

I didn't find the inbred freaks or body mod extremists that unrealistic. The satyr was a bit much...

Xerxes was an interesting cat himself though. The scene in 300 where Leonidas killed the wolf was actually based on Xerxes killing a lion.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Why is it called Xerxes when the Battle of Marathon occurred under Darius the Great?

 

[Ratcrawler]

I guess it chronicles his rise to power.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

I guess it chronicles his rise to power.

Doubt it. 300 wasn't historical or accurate, nor will this chronicle Xerxes. I think it's another excuse for Zack Snyder to grease up Europeans to play Greeks and cash in on the success of 300.

 

[Ratcrawler]

Name me a historical epic that was accurate? Movies have always taken ridiculous liberties with characters and settings for the sake of story. I doubt Xerxes was in reality an 8 ft giant with a goat man in his tent but hey, if you're gonna mythologize a golden age of history, you might as well push the boundaries and see what you can get away with.

 

[Red Mask]

No thanks.

 

[Gabe99]

From Super Hero Hype:
Exclusive: 300 May Get a Re-Release… in 3D!

And its sequel Xerxes might be next on Snyder's plate

 

[Gabe99]

From Super Hero Hype:
Frank Miller's Xerxes Revealed

 

[Gabe99]

Vulture Exclusive:
Warner Bros. Offers 300 Sequel XERXES to Director Guy Ritchie

If you’re like most of Vulture readers, you don’t need us to tell you that Xerxes the Great was the fourth Zoroastrian king of the Achamenid Empire. Du-uh. But what you do need your Vulture editors to tell you is that Warner Bros. has offered Xerxes — the sequel to Zach Snyder’s epic 300 — to none other than Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie.

Like 300 before it, Xerxes is based on one of Frank Miller’s graphic novels and had been developed by Snyder, who'd planned to direct his own script. So what gives?

One theory is that Warner Bros. needs Snyder to bear down on Superman stat: Insiders say the closely-guarded script for Superman suffers from major third-act problems, and the studio faces a ticking clock on that franchise, legally speaking; if a Superman film isn’t in production by 2013, Warner Bros. loses the rights to the entire Superman franchise and would have to re-license it from its original creators — the estates of Detective Comics writers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster — at great if not prohibitive expense.

But there’s another theory: At a recent Warner Bros.—conducted audience research screening of Snyder’s Sucker Punch, the film tested poorly. Says one insider familiar with it, “It was bad; like, really bad. They’re [Warners brass] really not happy with it over there.”

That, plus with Snyder’s last two films (Watchmen and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole) having under-performed, some insiders posit that offering Ritchie Xerxes means that Warner’s ardor for all things Snyder may be cooling just a bit.

Regardless, we’re pleased that Xerxes (a.k.a. King Ahasuerus) is heating up — and just in time for Purim! We have only one question: Cherry or apricot hamantashen, Guy?

 

[dark_b]

Ritchie never made a fantasy stiylized movie. this will be interesting.

 

[Gabe99]

DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE:
'Xerxes' Pic Down To Noam Murro And Jaume Collett-Serra For '300' Spinoff

The producers of the 300 spinoff known as Xerxes have retitled their film 300: Battle of Artemisia, and they have also narrowed their focus of potential directors to two: Noam Murro and Jaume Collet-Serra. The film, a spinoff to 300, is one that the film's original director Zack Snyder was going to direct. That was until Warner Bros and producer Chris Nolan offered him Man of Steel, and Snyder and wife and producing partner Debra Snyder put Xerxes aside and moved on to rebooting the Superman franchise because Warner Bros needed it. The Snyders have been all over this director selection process. Snyder had written a script with his 300 cohort Kurt Johnstad. Like 300, it is based on a Frank Miller graphic novel that will be shot with the kind of stylized period green-screen action visuals that became the signature of 300 and helped the film gross $456 million worldwide. Xerxes was the Persian leader seen in 300. Miller's graphic novel told the story of how Xerxes became this peculiar god-like entity. That mythology goes back to the death of his father, Darius, from injuries sustained at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. Darius had told his son not to attack the Greeks because they can only be punished by a god, and so Xerxes tried to transform himself into a deity to gain revenge. The new pic's produced by the Snyders, Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, Thomas Tull and Bernie Goldmann. The prime mover on the film has been Legendary Pictures, which made the original with Warner Bros and has taken the lead on several big-ticket pictures since Tull recapitalized his producing/financing company. That includes the Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim with Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba and the Alex Proyas-directed Paradise Lost with Bradley Cooper.

As for those directors: Murro's sole directing credit is the Sarah Jessica Parker-starrer Smart People for Miramax, but his calling card for big-scale movie making is his commercials work on campaigns that include the Halo video game. He’s a five-time DGA-nominated commercials director, won two Golden Lions at Cannes and last year signed a deal to develop to direct the next Die Hard film at 20th Century Fox. Collett-Serra directed the sleeper hit Unknown for Warner Bros, and he's prepping to direct Red Circle for Working Title and StudioCanal. He's also developing the vampire tale Harker with Appian Way at Warner Bros. Both are repped by CAA and Murro is managed by 360's Guymon Casady.

 

[jaganar]

if anyone remembers RICHIE was supposed to do the LOBO movie as well.

i am not happy with this , seeing as how he only made ROCKnROLLA but never did the sequel to it.

the Xerxes i know ( when i saw his LUKE GOSS version *one night with the king*) i immediatly made the connection because i remembered it being THAT xerxes who had the greek campaign , not to get all religious on the subject but IRAN and GOATFACE whatshisname are full of crap , if you use history you can counter with the entire area being part of the persian empire and then it doesnt matter.

personally , as long as its not a crappy director (looking at you SHAMALAN, SCHUMACHER) i think it would be a good movie , as long as they stick to the poetic license and not give a SMURF about Political correctness.

 

[Project862006]

Warner Bros. Chooses Noam Murro to Direct '300' Spin-Off (Exclusive)

Warner Bros. has zeroed in on Noam Murro to direct its 300 spin-off, 300: Battle of Artemisia (formerly known as Xerses).The Israel-born director, who helmed the 2008 film Smart People, was vying for the gig with Jaum Collet-Serra, the director of this year’s Liam Neeson thriller Unknown. But Warners, which liked both directors, in Solomon-like wisdom divided up gigs for the filmmakers, yesterday handing Collet-Serra the adaptation of Akira. An official offer to Murro is expected to be made early next week.
Artemisia is based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel that takes Xerxes, the Persian leader who is an antagonist in 300, and turns him into more of a pivotal figure. He's a man in search of godhood after the death of his father, battling an Athenian warlord named Themistocles. The story takes place over the course of several years, but the focal point is the battle of Artemisium, which occured in 480 BC.
Zack Snyder, who directed 300, wrote the script with his 300 partner Kurt Johnstad.
The aim is to shoot Artemisia in the same stylized vein as Snyder did with 300.
Artemisia would be a change of pace for CAA and Management 360-repped Murro, whose Smart People was an indie drama that starred Dennis Quaid as a widower dealing with his adopted brother (Thomas Hayden Church), his overachieving daughter (Ellen Page) and possible new love in the form of Sarah Jessica Parker.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warner-bros-chooses-noam-murro-212149

 

[Project862006]

this guy might be a great choice i just forgot he made this HALO Reach epic commercial


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18-_9E0HNY4

 

[Project862006]

Eva Green in Talks to Star in '300' Prequel at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ 300 prequel hasn't found its male star yet, but the movie is zeroing in on its female lead.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warner-bros-chooses-noam-murro-212149Eva Green has entered negotiations to play Artemisia in the movie, which is currently working with the title 300: Battle of Artemisia. Noam Murro (Smart People) is directing.






The epic follow-up to 2006's Gerard Butler action pic 300 sees the Persian king-turned-god Xerxes lead an army against Greek forces, who have little training but are under the guidance of a general named Themistokles. (The giant battle at the center of this movie is supposed to occur at the same time as the fighting in 300.)
Green would play a ruthless, gold-covered goddess who persuades Xerxes to amass his army and helps lead them into battle.
The studio is hoping to start production in the first quarter of 2012. Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, Bernie Goldman, Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder are producing.
British actress Green may be best known to American audiences for playing James Bond love interest Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale or appearing in the international hit The Golden Compass. She recently wrapped shooting Dark Shadows, Warners’ big-screen take of the gothic soap opera starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.

 

[Project862006]

edit

 

[Project862006]

Animal Kingdom Star Sullivan Stapleton To Star

"Animal Kingdom" thesp Sullivan Stapleton is in final negotiations to star in the untitled "300" follow-up from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

Noam Murro is helming, with Kurt Johnstad and Zack Snyder penning the script with plot details being kept under wraps.

Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, Bernie Goldman, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder and Thomas Tull are producing.

Stapleton had been in consideration for the role early on in the process but it was believed he couldn't do it because of his obligation to his TV show "Strike Back." With the shoot pushing to the summer, the studio went back to Stapleton and it looks like their schedules will work out.

The ironic part is that Joel Edgerton, his "Animal Kingdom" co-star, was a front-runner for the role at one point but passed to do the untitled Kill Bin Laden film that Kathryn Bigelow is helming.

- Variety
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118049935.html

 

[Project862006]

8/2/13 release date

Santoro has been confirmed to reprise his Xerxes role