As proven by the sea of sequels, prequels, crossovers, and reboots in theaters and in development; Hollywood is not afraid to return to certain wells as many times as it needs to. Superhero movies might be one of the most common culprits in this practice as we’ve seen a number of Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Fantastic Four projects over the years. But for the latest comic property being revisited by a major studio, they’re taking aim at the small screen this time with the help of Zack Snyder and 300.
According to Variety, the divisive filmmaker behind Sucker Punch, Rebel Moon, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League is joining forces with Warner Bros. Television to develop a prequel series to his 2006 film based on the iconic 1998 comic written and illustrated by Frank Miller. But we’re still in the early stages of the process. No writer or platform are attached to the project. Plot details are still being figured out. But sources agree that it’s definitely a prequel.
Though negotiations are still ongoing, the outlet reports that Snyder is in talks to direct and executive produce the series. Deborah Snyder is also being tapped to executive produce with her husband under their Stone Quarry production banner. Furthermore, producers Wesley Coller, Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Bernie Goldmann are likewise in similar talks to return as well.
This Is Sparta
This 300 TV series isn’t the first time WB revisited the world of Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas and his small but mighty band of soldiers. In 2014, Noam Murro directed 300: Rise of an Empire from a screenplay by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad. This follow-up was based on the Frank Miller mini-series Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander, which recounted the Battle of Artemisium and the Battle of Salamis in the Greco-Persian Wars. In addition to Snyder behind the scenes, Lena Headey, Peter Mensah, David Wenham, Andrew Tiernan, Andrew Pleavin, and Rodrigo Santoro reprised their roles from the original movie. Franchise newcomers Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Hans Matheson, and Callan Mulvey rounded out the cast. However, despite becoming a box office success, the sequel received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike.
Synder would then go on to work on a script for another sequel titled 300: Blood and Ashes. This movie would have depicted the relationship between Alexander the Great and his second in command, Haphaestion. Ultimately, the studio rejected this “gay love story that was also an ancient Greek war epic”. The script then sat on the shelf for years. However, the Snyders regained the rights to the script last year. At that point, they could have shopped it around to other studios. However, now it looks like they are going in a different direction with the 300 series too.