With Gladiator 2 and 21st Century Cleo due for release in the latter half of 2024, the market for historical movies based on ancient cultures and characters is as strong as ever. However, Ancient Greece has been neglected in recent years despite the success of the 300 franchise. Could the long-awaited third movie in the series bring this period back onto our screens?
The Importance of Greek Mythology and History in Entertainment
Many great movies over the years have leaned heavily on Greek history and mythology, with 1963’s Jason and the Argonauts being one of the first major films to choose this setting. This cult classic sees the son of King Aristo setting out on an epic adventure to find the Golden Fleece, battling against creatures such as a skeleton army. 1981’s Clash of the Titans was based on the legend of Perseus and was updated in a 2010 remake. 2004’s Troy starring Brad Pitt shows us the Trojan War as told in Homer’s Iliad and was a huge commercial success.
Despite the lack of recent movies of this type, Greek mythology remains an important part of popular culture, with Amazon Prime’s Saltburn delivering a clever twist on the Theseus and Minotaur myth that not everyone spotted. More obvious nods to the culture will come from Kaos, an upcoming Netflix series based on Zeus fearing his reign might be ending. Greek Gods have also been made into other fare such as real money roulette games. For instance, Age of the Gods Roulette is partially based on the popular slots series by Playtech with the same name. With a mythological feel and images of Greek deities, it takes players to a bonus round where progressive jackpots can be won.
The Story of 300 So Far
The original 300 movie was released in 2006. It’s loosely based on the Battle of Thermopylae which was fought during the Greco-Persian Wars. Gerard Butler plays King Leonidas, who has to lead 300 Spartan warriors into battle against a far larger Persian force led by Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). It grossed more than $450 million to become one of the top 30 box office successes at the time of its release.
This success led to a sequel titled 300: Rise of an Empire released in 2014. Rather than being a straight sequel, it includes segments before the battle as well as other parts during and after the action. Reviews were mixed but it managed to gross $337 million against a $110 million budget.
Is a Third Movie Coming Soon?
Given the success of both 300 movies, it’s no surprise that there have been rumors of a further sequel being made. Director Zack Snyder mentioned that any further sequels could be set in other locations, such as China or the US. However, he then mentioned an Alexander the Great movie titled Blood and Ashes that could act as a sequel. At the end of 2023, Snyder pointed out that he regained the rights to Blood and Ashes after Warner Bros passed on it and intends to develop it, but not as a 300 sequel.
It seems unlikely that another 300 movie will be released soon. Yet, Blood and Ashes could provide us with a chance to enjoy a similar type of movie that takes us back into Greek history.
