Warner Bros. Television is currently in the process of producing a TV series based on the movie “300,” with the storyline still being developed. The series is a prequel to the 2006 film “300: Rise of an Empire,” with director Zack Snyder expected to return to helm the project.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. Television is in discussions with Chuck Snyder, the screenwriter of the “300” movie series, to direct and executive produce the TV series. Both the “300” films and the upcoming series are adapted from the renowned American comic book artist Frank Miller’s comic book of the same name, drawing inspiration from the real historical events between Persia and ancient Greek city-states, particularly the Battle of Thermopylae.
Based on Box Office Mojo data, the budgets for the 2007 film “300” and the 2014 film “300: Rise of an Empire” were $65 million and $110 million, respectively, with global box office revenues of $456 million and $337 million. The films received audience freshness ratings of 89% and 51% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with the sequel not performing as well financially as the original.
Chuck Snyder’s screenplay and direction of “300: Rise of an Empire” depicted the tragic historical battle of Persia’s invasion of Greece, where the King of Sparta led 300 warriors in defiance against the Persian army. Though all the warriors perished, they exacted a heavy toll on Persia, gained Greek support, and together defeated the Persian forces. Snyder also served as a co-writer for the sequel “Rise of an Empire,” but did not direct it.
The discussions for the film franchise transitioning back into a TV series also involve the series’ producers Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Bernie Goldmann. The original film’s executive producer Deborah Snyder is also in talks to return.
Recently, Snyder released two films on Netflix titled “Rebel Moon,” but faced criticism from Rotten Tomatoes reviewers and audiences. Snyder told Empire magazine, “I have no counter to these reviews; for whatever reason, people’s reactions to my movies are always polarized, and always have been.” He added, “It seems this film didn’t have enough substance to provoke such strong reactions.”