In August of this year, you might want to dust off your pair sandals again because Warner Brothers plans to release a prequel to 300, 300: Rise of an Empire. From the rumors, I gather that those of you hoping (desperately longing) for another muscle bound, slow motion jumping, blood spilling romp will be pleased, however, the prequel looks a little more complex than the original. It will follow three separate and related stories, of the two battling naval generals, the Grecian Themistocles and the Persian Artemisia I of Caria – you heard it right, a woman – and the rise of Xerxes into godhood. To grapple with these bigger themes, the movie takes place over a longer period of time, in various locations, as opposed to its original, in which the cameras contracted on a stifling three days in the Hot Gates.
Since 300’s release in 2007, a lot of look-a-likes have jostled and flexed their way on screen. The show Spartacus has attracted a lot of attention … and I’ll leave it at that. Whatever you want to say about it, 300 put “Sword and Sandal” flicks back on the map, but we can hope that Frank Miller and Zack Snyder plan do a little more than repeat the same, admittedly well choreographed, violence of the first movie. It looks plausible, considering that 300: Rise of an Empire delves more into the character of Xerxes than the last film did. Obviously, the other interesting facet of the film is that it features a woman, Artemisia I, Xerxes’ only female general. Whatever statements the movie will make, Frank Miller has already taken an unapologetic stance towards the entire nation of Iran, who bristled a little bit at being, what they called, represented by an ignorant, corrupt horde and a bejeweled emperor. In response to rising winds of controversy, Miller gave an interview with the L.A. Times.
Despite my better instincts, I’m excited.
300: Rise of an Empire hits theaters August 2. Directed by Noam Murro, the film stars Eva Green, Sullivan Stapleton, and sees Rodrigo Santoro returning as Xerxes.
Written By Michael
Michael is an avid writer, recluse, one-time vagabond, beer-brewer, and reluctant bartender in the vast No-where flats of Ohio. When not working on his short stories, you can find him in his room watching movies, or ignoring everyone in public with his face in a book and a beer in his hand. He graduated with degrees in writing and philosophy and plans this fall to move on to the University of Virginia, to pursue his MFA in fiction. He’ll gladly sit down with you and a beer to discuss a film.
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