It seems Warner Bros.’ 300 spin-off is having a bit of an identity crisis, starting with the title; originally being called Xerxes, after Frank Miller’s prequel comic by the same name, only to be renamed 300: Battle of Artemisia. But even now, that title isn’t official and may change later on.

As a matter of fact, not even the plot is official. It was originally pegged as a prequel, but that’s now an uncertainty. The current word is that the film is “neither a prequel or a sequel and that the filmmakers are still figuring out its positioning.” So possibly a film taking place at the same time but from a different perspective? Who knows?

Well, today’s news has nothing to do with a title change or plot news, but rather the fact that the first actor is in final negotiations to join the historical epic. According to Variety, that actor is none other than Sullivan Stapleton, most notable for his role in the Australian film Animal Kingdom, as well in the upcoming Gangster Squad.

So who will he play? Well, it was originally speculated that the actor would portray Xerxes – the central antagonist in 300 played by Rodrigo Santaro – but it’s looking likely he’ll play Themistocles, “the famed archon and general who led the Greeks to victory against the invading Persians in 480 BCE”. Regardless to who he will play, Stapleton is in talks to be the main character.

Though not official yet, Eva Green (Casino Royale) is reportedly finalizing a deal to join the film as Artemisa, a fact-based character formulated in Kurt Johnstadt and Zack Snyder’s screenplay. On that note, Snyder is also producing, but is giving up the director’s chair Noam Murro due to the scheduling of Snyder’s Man Of Steel.

Like I stated before, the plot has not yet been confirmed but it may be safe to bet that it might somewhat resemble the plot to Miller’s Xerxes comic:

“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 it [sic] 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.”

So things may not seem stable or official just yet, it’s still good to see the film actually getting on track and out of production limbo. With that being said, it can almost be certain that the film will take a less stylized, artistic approach than Snyder’s 300, due to the nature of the plot. But, again, hardly anything can be confirmed just yet so take these as just speculations. Considering the prequel/sequel is slated to shoot in summer 2012, confirmations may be coming soon.

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Warner Bros. continues to go 3D crazy. Not only have they converted Clash of the Titans and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into 3D, they have announced all of their upcoming tentpole movies will be in 3D, and now it seems they have plans to re-release a few old films in 3D too.

SHH spoke to 300 director Zack Snyder who said he’s seen part of the film in three dimensions, and Warner Bros. may convert the whole film.

“I saw maybe like a ten-minute section that they’d just done,” he told us. “I haven’t seen the whole movie but they’re talking about doing the whole movie.”

Would you pay to see a film that has been out for 3 years on DVD and Blu-ray on the big screen again, but in 3D? Being a fan of 300 I may be tempted, but I would do so fully aware that I am doing exactly what the big wigs at Warner Bros. want me to do. With Blu-ray studios wanted people to buy the same film again, but in higher quality. And now with this studios want the masses to pay to see a film again just because it’s in 3D.

Anyway, back to promoting their upcoming films. Zack Snyder also spoke to SHH about Xerxes, which is the title given to the 300 prequel currently in development.

“I’m waiting on Frank (Miller) for the sequel to ’300′ and there’s a really good chance that will be the next thing we do,” he said, “He’s been working hard, so he’s supposed to show me something really soon; actually in the next few months, he’s going to show me something. There was a big discussion about what we would do for the sequel to ’300′ and I said, “I didn’t tell Frank what to write the first time, and I’m not telling him what to write this time,” he told us when asked who came up with the idea for Xerxes. “I’ll take it and I’ll adapt it and make it into a movie and I’ll write a screenplay, but I want him to do whatever he thinks. I’m not going to say I’m 100%, like that’s it, but on the other hand, I’m pretty confident it’s going to be awesome. That would be the next thing and then I’m working on a sci-fi thing that Kurt and I are writing together, an original thing.”

Last year Frank Miller said Xerxes will take place around 10 years before the events of 300, and that it would showcase the Battle of Marathon (the first Persian invasion of Greece).

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The L.A Times recently got the chance to get an update on the follow-up to 300 from Frank Miller. It doesn’t seem to have moved much further from when we heard Miller was working on the graphic novel back in June, however we now have a title and we now know which battle the film will showcase.

Miller is preparing a follow-up now titled “Xerxes,” which begins about 10 years before the events of “300,” and Snyder has expressed interest in it as a film property as well. “It’s the battle of Marathon through my lens,” Miller said Wednesday. “I’ve finished the plot and I’m getting started on the artwork.”

Miller said he is not surprised Greece is resurgent in Hollywood. “Every generation returns to ancient Greece because, well, the stories are so damn good,” said the artist, who also directed last year’s “The Spirit.” Miller said that during his research trips to Greece he realized that the myth and history overlap begins to blur, which adds to the storytelling allure. “The fact and the myth are inseparable and, believe me, when you go sailing for a while in the Aegean Sea, you start believing in Poseidon.”

As it takes place 10 years before 300 there is a chance Gerard Bulter could return, which would be cool. The film can’t get the green-light until Miller finishes the graphic novel, so he better get a move on!

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Earlier this year 300 and Watchmen director Zack Synder said that Frank Miller was busy writing and drawing the graphic novel that the sequel to 300 will be based on, and that it would take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea (the big battle we got a taste of at the end of 300). Unless things have changed this means Gerard Butler won’t be returning as King Leonidas, as he was getting impaled by quite a few spears the last time we saw him. However, Butler recently told MTV that he would be up for returning, if they need him.

“I had an incredible time doing the first one, and I think that if the first one was a stand-alone, as a one-off, there’s no bad thing in that,” explained Gerard Butler when we caught up with him recently, saying he’d be willing to bring his character back to life—even if it meant re-animating arguably the most dead person in movie history (remember all those spears?). “But, you know, let’s see what it might bring forward with a second one.”

Butler also dropped a small nugget of info about possibly appearing in Sin City 3:

“I could see myself working with Frank again,” explained the “Law Abiding Citizen” star. “But, I don’t know. Graphic novels are things that I wouldn’t do a lot of, so I would have to really choose carefully before I did.”

“At one point, he talked to me about one of the ‘Sin City’ [movies],” explained the actor, possibly revealing some casting details for whenever Miller and Robert Rodriguez get around to filming their supposed sequels to the gritty 2005 graphic novel-turned-blockbuster. “And we discussed that.” Although Butler didn’t reveal his character’s name, he reported that Miller wanted him not for this next film, but likely for the one after that.

“There’s a kind of cool character I think in the third one,” Butler revealed, “But it was all very kind of soft talk.”

Gerard Butler appearing in Sin City 3 would be quite cool, although they need to make the second movie first. The latest we’ve heard is that it could start filming next year, however nothing is official yet.

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Warner Bros. held a press conference recently to showcase the upcoming Blu-ray releases of Watchmen and 300. Zack Snyder, director of both movies, was in attendance and he spoke to ComingSoon.net about the 300 sequel that we heard details about last year.

“I know for a fact that Frank [Miller] is writing right now,” says Snyder, who explains that the plan is for Miller to create the story as a comic book first, “[He's] drawing away and seems to be knee-deep in it. I think he’s going to head back to Greece again and do another reconnaissance.”

With the first 300 having been created on a decidedly smaller budget than Watchmen, Snyder says that he probably wants the look and feel of a sequel to maintain that of 300, even though Miller’s notes promise a grander scale.

“I think we would use the same technology… I don’t want it to look too Star Wars-ian… Just from what [Miller] told me, it would be bigger as far as landscape and terrain. We’re going to see Athens and the Aegean and other places. There would be an opportunity for bigger visions, though I’d hope for the same aesthetic. The tech we used for ’300′ was not a revolution. It’s basically what the weatherman has. Look, instead of Accuweather it’s Sparta… It’s going to be the same way, but on crazier steroids.”

Snyder has said in the past that he will definitely direct, and that it will take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea, the battle that narrator Dilios is at while re-telling the story of King Leonidas and the Spartans to a new group of warriors at the end of 300.

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It is well known know that a prequel/sequel to 300 will be happening, however, we haven’t heard what they plan to make it about. Well IESB spoke to Zack Snyder at a Watchmen preview today, and he revealed some interesting details on the possible story.

In short, Snyder says he’s spoken with Frank Miller who will be writing and drawing the graphic novel that the second film will be based on. Upon Miller’s completion of the book, then, and only then, will they delve into writing a script for the movie.

Snyder continued and said he would not have any input into the novel and wants it to be a creation of Miller’s 100%.

Snyder also said it will take place between the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Plataea, the battle that narrator Dilios is at while re-telling the story of King Leonidas and the mighty Spartans to a new group of warriors at the end of 300.

Snyder also told IESB that would definitely direct this sequel/prequel and is looking forward to Miller’s completion of the book.

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There has been talk of another charge into the 300 universe ever since it made Warner Bros rather rich last March. Well, Gerard Butler was recently asked to share any details he may have while on the rounds for the Guy Ritchie crime flick RocknRolla. From Superhero Hype!

Unfortunately, Butler hasn’t heard anything more then we have, and he seemed rather dubious of the film’s franchise potential. “I’ve heard some backroom chatter, but nothing more, so I don’t know if it would be a sequel or a prequel. I don’t want say anymore than that, because I really don’t know. I haven’t read anything. I can’t see it myself–sequel for me absolutely not, but I just mean the idea generally, I’m really not sure which way they would go with that.”

I feel the same as Butler. I am happy with 300 staying as a standalone film and I can’t see what they would do if they were to make a prequel/sequel. If Zack Snyder ends up directing then it may increase my interest.

Where do you think they can go if another movie is made?

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Collider spoke with 300 producers Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari and Bernie Goldmann at the recent Saturn Awards and got them to reveal that not only are they working on a Blu-ray edition of the film but they’re also planning a sequel and/or prequel. Frank Miller is busy working on a brand new story and director Zack Snyder says that if they think it could work as a movie, they’re going to make it!

I know some people would prefer 300 to stay as a standalone film, however this is Hollywood. 300 was a surprise hit for Warner Bros, having septupled (x7) its budget, so it makes business sense to jump on the sequel bandwagon.

What are your thoughts?

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In a couple of weeks it will be exactly one year since we saw Gerard Butler and company kick all kinds of ass in Zack Snyder’s 300. The awesome trailers and amazing effect meant that many charged to see it, and it has made just over $450 million worldwide. Considering it only cost a relatively small $65 million to make, that’s a huge profit for Warner Bros and everyone involved. So, Hollywood being Hollywood it is obvious that the word ‘sequel’ may pop up eventually…and today it has.

SOS Hollywood spoke to producer Mark Canton while he was doing rounds for The Spiderwick Chronicles. They are either reading too much into body language, or he is hinting something big!

Is a new 300 a reality? Should we expect to meet you again on a press junket for that?
(Another gigantic smile)
Wouldn’t it be nice to do that again with Zack (Snyder).

So you’re going for it, right?
I just said “wouldn’t it be nice?”. But I’d love to. (and he winked). Budgets are really a problem to approve these days. (Another smile and left the room).

As subtle messages are the most important way of telling something that cannot be told in Hollywood, the true answer is yes. A very good source within Warner Bros. also confirmed that all things are ready to start once the company greenlights the project.

I would only be happy with this if Zack Snyder returns. It was his vision that made 300 amazing, so if anyone else got their hands on this it would probably not be as good. Nothing is actually confirmed yet, but if a producer hints at budget discussions then something is going on.

THIS IS…spar…I mean…interesting.

Any suggestions for a possible title? They could go down the route of a well known Disney classic and call it 301 Spartans. How about a simple 400? Maybe 300: Full Throttle? 300: Dead Mans Pecs? 300: At Cliffs End?

I could do this all day…

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ComingSoon have posted a list of the seven films that remain in contention for the Achievement in Visual Effects for the 80th Academy Awards. On Wednesday, January 16, members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch will watch a 15 minute excerpt from each film, and then nominate three who will go forward for the final consideration. Here they are:

The Golden Compass

Transformers

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

The Bourne Ultimatum

Evan Almighty

300

I Am Legend

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