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.