Counting Down to 300 Sequel
For Greece! For glory! For ripped guys in skimpy armor!
Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. are looking for a plot to hang a follow-up to 300 on, as they try to repeat the surprise blockbuster success of the 2006 flick adapted from Frank Miller’s graphic novel.
Fanboys will be heartened to know that, according to Variety, original director Zack Snyder is being wooed for the next installment, which will be based on a new graphic novel from the acclaimed comic-book writer.
The problem is exactly who will be going to war this time around, considering nearly all of 300’s main characters were killed off at the end of the first film, including Gerard Butler and his heroic pecs. Butler’s testosterone-fueled King Leonidas led Sparta’s small yet fierce army in a doomed but inspiring standoff against the Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae.
Miller must work out whether the new saga will be a prequel, a sequel or a possible spinoff headlining those who survived the brutal fighting, and whether there will be a number referenced in the title (150? 600? 3,000?).
The 300 follow-up isn’t the only swords-and-sandals epic in the works. Legendary is also hatching a remake to 1981’s Clash of the Titans under the direction of The Incredible Hulk helmer Louis Leterrier. Relativity Media, meanwhile, is developing a project entitled War of Gods. No word when those will unspool.
Snyder’s next film, Watchmen, an action sci-fi fantasy following a vigilante who investigates the murder of an ex-superhero, hits theaters next March. And Miller is set to make his directing debut with an adaptation of his graphic novel The Spirit, due out this Christmas.
Frank Miller Prepping 300 Sequel
Warner Bros’ 300 has crossed the $100 million mark at the box office, it its eighth day of release. Variety is reporting that Frank Miller is also hard at work prepping a follow-up to 300 based on another mythic tale from Greek history. But good ol’ Frank won’t divulge details.
Talk of a 300 sequel isn’t anything new. Producer Mark Canton spoke briefly about the possibility last month:
“If it all works out I’m sure we’ll all be scrambling Zack [Snyder] and Frank Miller and everyone to figure out exactly ‘301?,” Canton told our friends at FirstShowing. “Where there’s a will there’s a way, honestly. And the thing about Frank, you just don’t know - he has a lot of stories he may want to tell that may be associated or not, but we just want this one to satisfy first.”
So the question now becomes: what mythic tale from greek history will Miller update?
Some readers have suggested that a sequel could be made using 10,000: The Battle of Plataea or the naval Battle of Salamis.
Whatever it may be, don’t expect it anytime soon. Miller will co-direct Sin City 2 later this year, before going it alone for the first time ever in an adaptation of Will Eisner’s The Spirit.
Miller is also busy working on the All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder comic book series for DC, as well as finishing up the 200-plus-page “Holy Terror, Batman!” graphic novel (currently set for a 2007 release).
Beat Ben @ the Box Office: Who Wants Wanted?
The Matrix changed the way action movies are made, and its influence is all over the latest graphic-novel adaptation Wanted. Unlikely star James McAvoy is an office monkey-turned-international superassassin, joined by Angelina Jolie and Common, and he’s intense and convincing.
It won’t be No. 1 (thanks, WALL-E), but people are excited. So look for this stylized epic to pull in big cash opening weekend, something around $37 million.
Ang gets half naked, so let’s say $37.7 million.
What do you think: Am I on target here, or am I firing blanks? Put up you numbers in the comments, and we’ll see who owns the box office this week, you or me.
Get Wanted trailers, clips and more in the Summer Movie Guide.
Angelina Jolie Talks Sin City 2
Angelina Jolie took time off from being pregnant and did the promotion rounds for Wanted. While doing these rounds MTV asked Jolie about Sin City 2. Back in 2006, Rosario Dawson said that Robert Rodriguez was putting the whole thing on hold due to Jolie’s pregnancy. Well time has pasted, Jolie gave birth…then got pregnant again with twins…and will give birth again at some point I presume. So maybe if she’s done adding to the ever growing human population could she take on the role of Ava Lord in Sin City 2?
“I don’t know,” the actress admitted, “I found the first ‘Sin City’ impressive, but I don’t know what they’re going to do with the next one to make [it] as original as the first one,” Jolie said.
But if there’s any trepidation at all on Jolie’s part as to whether or not Miller and Co. can keep the story fresh and invigorating, it’s not for lack of respect.
“I think he’s a genius,” Jolie said of Miller, who masterminded the original graphic novel and co-directed the first film. “I’d be curious [if offered].”
Rachel Weisz was rumoured to be up for the part a while back, so if big lips here doesn’t do it, Weisz might.