300 sequel will not be titled "Xerxes"... good

Probably a good idea the 300 sequel will not be titled "Xerxes".  Can you imagine what the marketing campaign would be like?  Teen boys wouldn't know how to spell it, then have mood swings about not accessing viral material, then throw tantrums, then boycott the movie.  It would be ugly.

A few weeks ago I posted about the sequel's announcement, no secret really.  But, what WAS a big deal was that Guy Ritchie may direct the film.  It's possible considering Zack Snyder, the 300 director, is going to be busy for at least 18 months on the Superman reboot. 

People involved with the movie have all but confirmed that Snyder will not direct.  Too bad too.  300 is totally Snyder's vision come true.  What's interesting is that Frank Miller has finished the graphic novel to the sequel.  Remember now, 300 is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, not the exact events in history.  So with the second graphic novel done, writers will be hired to adapt a screenplay.  We'll see what happens.  All this came from an article about the film being titled something other than "Xerxes". 

Guy Ritchie is rumored to direct Xerxes, the sequel to 300

Ok, so we know Guy Ritchie is busy filming Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, but there's an interesting rumor floating around.  Could Guy Ritchie take the reigns from Zack Snyder on a 300 sequel?  The internet says so, so it must be true. 

300 is really the defining film for Snyder.  His vision made the movie what it is.  It's no secret he and Frank Miller have been working on a sequel/prequel comic book following the Persian emperor, Xerxes.  Miller is of course the writer of the 300 graphic novel that inspired the film.  So why the Ritchie rumors?

I don't want to give internet rumors too much time, but here goes:  The third act to the new Superman script is weak and early reviews of Sucker Punch are bad so Warner Brothers doesn't trust Snyder with the tent pole film.  Bbbbbbbbbbbbbb.S.  I don't believe it for a minute. 

If the rumors are true and Ritchie is to take over the sequel, there has to be other reasons.  Say perhaps, SCHEDULING!  Shocking, scheduling difficulties is too boring a reason for a director to take over a film from another director; so we all make stuff up to compensate. 

My honest opinion is that Warner Brothers wants to get this project moving and so they're probably shopping around, nothing more.  With Snyder starting up Superman and Ritchie wrapping up Holmes... it makes sense.  I would be happy with Ritchie, but am going to hope for a back to back homerun with Snyder. 

Zack Snyder Will Direct "Superman!"

A visionary director for a superhero who so desperately needs him. The rumors have been confirmed, Zack Snyder will direct the next Superman film! Producer Christopher Nolan had a difficult task at hand, but chose the man I hoped he would!

It's been a crazy road since 2006, and even earlier. Directors like Tim Burton, McG and even J.J. Abrams have been linked to directing a Superman film at one point or another. Richard Donner will forever be synonymous with Superman; his 1978 epic created the genre of film I have come to cherish, the superhero film genre.

Fast forward almost 30 years to 2006. Brian Singer creates an homage to Donner with the pitiful Superman Returns and leaves an entire generation of fans wishing Donner himself would have directed the movie instead.

Fast forward a bit more to 2012 when we will look to the sky for our savior, Superman! Not like Snyder needs an introduction, but there are four films that I believe got him the job.

1. 300 was a huge success and placed Snyder on a very short list of visionary directors that could give us a money shot for every single frame of a movie. He began his voyage into comic book-to-film adaptations.

2. Watchmen proved he could create drama and emotion and only use the action as a tool to tell the story, much like Christopher Nolan and the Batman films, again working in the comic book genre.

3. Legend of the Guardians, which is doing very well in theaters this month and making Warner Brothers a lot of money.

4. Sucker Punch looks like a literal translation of a graphic novel come to life and will surely feature Snyder's recognizable film style.

Superman needed a director like Snyder for so many reasons. It needed his visual style of course, but more so, it needed the darkness Snyder has shown in his previous films. Superman Returns failed on so many levels, for so many reasons. One reason everyone agreed on was the lack of action. I doubt this will be a problem, considering what we've seen in both 300 and the trailer for Sucker Punch.

Another reason that film failed was the character was impossible to relate to in a terrorized world. That good 'ol boy, boyscout type of character will not resonate in this time in the world. So David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan have promised a darker character that better resembles the times.

I love the decision and was jumping up and down like a little kid when I read the news. Now what? Well now we argue and debate the lead. I say Jim Caviezel, some say Jon Hamm. What about Brandon Routh returning to the role? Give us your thoughts on Snyder being hired and your idea for the lead!

Fox to make a Moses film... 300 Style baby

Variety is reporting that Fox studios is planning a remake of sorts. They are planning on retelling the story of Moses, but not in the traditional way. Here's exactly what Variety had to say about it:

The Moses story will be told using the same green screen strategy as "300," so it will feel more like that pic or "Braveheart" than "The Ten Commandments,” the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille film.

Someone should think about this a little bit. The Passion of the Christ cause such a ruckus when it came out, and performed very VERY well at the box office. But a Moses story in a style made famous by a Spartan/Persian war may not be the way to go. I think there's a lot more room for biblical stories, no matter what your religion is. These are stories, they are being told on the big screen, it doesn't matter where they came from. But at the same time, I think you have to be careful with religion. Some people get enlightened, while others offended, that's just the way it works.

I say this a lot, but I'll say it again... it doesn't matter what I think. The movie will be made, make a gazillion dollars and have a sequel by the following Summer, stay tuned.