No, they haven't started to film a prequel to Zack Snyder's 300 yet, though that may change within the next year depending on how well received Frank Miller's prequel is with fans. The LA Times caught up with Miller to chat about his much-anticipated prequel to his graphic novel 300 (which was later turned into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Gerard Butler), and it's called Xerxes. Not only that, but they also released the first piece of art from the novel, which you can see to the right.
Those who remember 300 know that Xerxes was the god-like villain of the film who led the Persian army into battle against 300 oiled-up Spartans. But instead of setting the prequel during a time where the same actors in 300 can reprise their roles, Miller is going back a little further to introduce new characters and focus on the rise of Xerxes. He says, "The story will be the same heft as '300' but it covers a much, much greater span of time -- it's 10 years, not three days," Miller said. "This is a more complex story. The story is so much larger. The Spartans in '300' were being enclosed by the page as the world got smaller. This story has truly vast subjects. The Athenian naval fleet, for instance, is a massive artistic undertaking and is dwarfed by the Persian fleet, which is also shown in this story. The story has elements of espionage, too, and it's a sweeping tale with gods and warriors."
Sounds cool, but with films like Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia sparking a so-so reception from audiences, are people simply burned out on the whole mythological, gladiator-type films? Or is there still room to play in this sandbox so long as it's somehow related to Snyder's film? What do you think? Are you interested in a 300 prequel, or would you skip it?
