Synopsis: Five thousand years ago, a ruthlessly ambitious warlord named Memnon believed he was destined to rule the scattered peoples of the desert. With an army of crude barbarians at his command, he swept across the mountains and plains, enslaving those he did not slaughter. He struck with a... Five thousand years ago, a ruthlessly ambitious warlord named Memnon believed he was destined to rule the scattered peoples of the desert. With an army of crude barbarians at his command, he swept across the mountains and plains, enslaving those he did not slaughter. He struck with a merciless precision that filled those who opposed him with dread because as his enemies were acutely aware, Memnon's strategies were plotted by a seer who advised him on when, where and how to attack. He never lost a battle.

Only a few tribes, never natural allies, stand between Memnon and the throne. Knowing his final strike is inevitable, they grudgingly unite against their common foe by enlisting the services of Mathayus, a man descended from generations of Akkadian assassins skilled in the deadly arts, to eliminate the sorcerer and deprive Memnon of his most dangerous asset.

Thus, Mathayus enters a battle that demands all the cunning, courage and strength he can rouse from his powerful core. Slipping into Memnon's palace in the notorious city of Gomorrah, Mathayus discovers that the evil leader's visionary is a woman, the beautiful Cassandra. Rather than kill her, he takes Cassandra hostage, deep into the desolate Valley of the Dead. Although he and his scrappy band of allies would be severely out-numbered, Mathayus is convinced any hope for survival will require direct confrontation with Memnon.

Cassandra's visions have predicted that Mathayus would die in such a fight. But Mathayus has always lived by the simple but profound creed of his people - live free, die well. He also believes that he can create his own destiny, and with that conviction, transcends his heritage, evolving from assassin to legend . to The Scorpion King.

Chuck Russell (The Mask, Eraser) directs the action-adventure film, a spin-off of The Mummy series.

Inspired by tales of a legendary Egyptian ruler, The Scorpion King unfolds in a time of hardship and brutality, centuries before the raising of the Great Pyramid. As the story begins, the cruel Memnon, portrayed by Steven Brand, will stop at nothing to become king of the known world. He faces minimal resistance from the few desperate survivors of his scourge-like attacks. Still, a small band of Akkadians, a once-proud clan of assassins, now nearly extinct, has been hired to kill the sorcerer who guides Memnon's deadly hand. However, after accepting this mission, the Akkadians' numbers are quickly reduced to just one - Mathayus (The Rock).

The Scorpion King character, portrayed by wrestling superstar The Rock, was first introduced in The Mummy Returns, a film which is set 2000 years after the events depicted in this new action adventure saga. The Rock had just finished his first days of shooting The Mummy Returns - the film in which he made his big-screen debut - when Universal Pictures approached him about starring in his own film, which would chronicle the Scorpion King's rise to power.

-- © 2002 Universal Pictures [More]