ROTTEN TOMATOES: "Dead" Director to Tackle Frank Miller's "300" Spartans

"Dead" Director to Tackle Frank Miller's "300" Spartans

by Scott Weinberg | August 16, 2005

Variety brings word of a rather cool-sounding project: "Dawn of the Dead" director Zack Snyder will direct an adaptation of Frank Miller's ancient Greece epic "300" for Warner Bros. Perhaps bolstered by the worldwide box office tallies for their "Troy" and the returns on Mr. Miller's "Sin City" adaptation, WB even has a leading man all signed up: Gerard Butler.

The book / eventual movie "tells the true story of 300 elite Spartan fighters who, led by King Leonidas (Butler), fought to the death against King Xerxes' massive Persian army during the battle of Thermopylae in 481-480 B.C. According to lore, their valor inspired all of Greece to rise up against the invading Persians, planting the seeds of democracy."

Snyder, along with screenwriter Kurt Johnstad, will be the ones adapting Mr. Miller's story into screenplay form. Shooting begins this October in Montreal, and WB is promising to stay faithful to the source material: ""300" will rely on hyper-real renderings similar to the stylized illustrations created by Miller for his book."

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(1-5 of 5 posts) | Reply

lonechicken writes:
on Aug 16 2005 05:33 AM

Maybe this will light a fire in Michael Mann to do his long talked about version, thereby causing another "two movies on the same topic" race to release... making neither as successful as by itself at the box office.

(Reply to this)

Fangmeier69 writes:
on Aug 16 2005 08:26 AM

[b]Gates Of Fire[/b]
If this start date is true, then Mann will likely have missed his chance to adapt Steven Pressfield's GATES OF FIRE; it's been in the works for so long, the DVD for Road To Perdition makes mention of screemwriter David Self adapting the book for Mann. Right now, Mann could still be finishing his movie version of Miami Vice with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, and he never does back-to-back projects quickly, like Spielberg. Although I like 300 and had great imagery, I like the story structure of GOF more, the background and narrative.
Still, we will be seeing Spartans and Persians on screen soon, so that's something. And, Hollywood doesn't often back down on competing projects with the same subject, so...

(Reply to this)

speelbergo writes:
on Aug 16 2005 09:30 AM

[b]Thank you Frank Miller...[/b]
it's about time Hollywood realized how good Frank MIller is for adapting. it only took a couple of decades, now. I just hope they don't to into "the dark night returns" territory. I want to do that one myself some day...

(Reply to this)

lovelykeira writes:
on Aug 17 2005 12:45 PM

Sounds good for the most part. The story sounds interesting. Plus Miller is awsome and I like Butler, But Snyder doesn't do much for me. Unlike most people I didn't really care for the new Dawn of Dead. Mann is a much better director and I would rather see him behind the camera. But I shall still look forward to this, just not full heartedly.

(Reply to this)

statman1982 writes:
on Aug 17 2005 04:10 PM

I've been looking forward to a Gates of Fire adaptation since I read the book. Unfortunately Michael Mann left the project earlier this year or late last year, I think it was over creative differences or some crap. After Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander both bombed studios are more hesitant to fund a project like this, and Gates of Fire would be a VERY expensive project to film. According to author Steven Pressfield's website, Mann has pulled out, Self's most recent draft of the screenplay got high approval from all involved but so far nobody is attatched to direct and it will likely be some years before it gets made if it ever does.

(Reply to this)

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