300: Rise of an Empire

300: Rise of an Empire Information

300: Rise of an Empire is an upcoming 2014 American action film directed by Noam Murro. It is a follow-up to the 2007 film 300, taking place before, during, and after the events of that film. The cast includes Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Callan Mulvey, Hans Matheson, and Jack O'Connell. The cast also includes Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, and David Wenham, reprising their roles from the first film. It is scheduled to be released in 3D and IMAX 3D on March 7, 2014. The composer for the film is Junkie XL.

Plot

The film centers on Themistocles and Artemisia I of Caria, as well as Xerxes I of Persia. The Battle of Artemisium was a naval engagement, concurrent with the battle of Thermopylae, and was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in September 480 BC, in the straits between the mainland and the northern tip of the island of Euboea (modern Evvia). The film will probably also focus, in part, on the Battle of Salamis, in which Artemisia played a major role, as well as possibly the Battle of Marathon. The Battle of Salamis (home of the mythical hero Ajax) was fought after the Persian Empire had advanced into southern Greece and occupied Athens.

The film will also cover some of the backstory of Xerxes, and will explain how he became "the God King".

Cast

Sullivan Stapleton as Themistocles
Eva Green as Artemisia
Rodrigo Santoro as King Xerxes, Achaemenid King of Persia.
Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo of Sparta
Hans Matheson as Aeskylos
Andrew Pleavin as Daxos
Callan Mulvey as Scyllias
David Wenham as Dilios
Jack O'Connell as Calisto
Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes
Yigal Naor as Darius I

Production

In June 2008, producers Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton and Bernie Goldmann revealed that work had begun on a sequel to 300. Legendary Pictures announced that Frank Miller, who wrote the 1998 comic book limited series on which the film 300 was based, was writing a follow-up graphic novel, and Zack Snyder, co-screenwriter and director of 300, was interested in directing the adaptation, but instead chose to develop and direct the Superman reboot Man of Steel. Noam Murro has signed as the director, while Snyder is set to produce. The film will be centered on the Greek leader Themistokles, portrayed by Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton.

During pre-production, the film was titled 300: Battle of Artemisium (although this was widely misreported as "Battle of Artemisia"); the film was retitled 300: Rise of an Empire in September 2012. Filming commenced early July 2012 at the Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria. On May 10, 2013, it was announced the film's release date would be pushed back from August 2, 2013, until March 7, 2014.

Historical accuracy

Artemisia of Halicarnassus was the only female commander in the Persian fleet. During the Battle of Salamis she commanded five ships against the Greeks as an ally of Xerxes I of Persia. Herodotus mentions her on several occasions, particularly for a daring manoeuvre at Salamis, where she escaped being sunk by ramming one of her own ships.