It looks like Hollywood is ready to gear up for some Greek mythology movies and they have some heavyweights in the mix. As with all things in Hollywood, however, all things must go to excess. So, instead of having one Greek mythology movie or maybe two over a year or so, we have two movies that are racing to see who can come out first - which means they’ll probably come out around the same time.
This has happened plenty of times before, of course. I’m sure most of you can remember similar movie match-ups like Armageddon vs. Deep Impact, 1492: Conquest of Paradise vs. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, Wyatt Earp vs. Tombstone, etc., etc.
Clash of the Titans
The first movie in the mix is the one we’ve heard the most about - a remake of Clash of the Titans. This film has been in the development stage for a while and even has a script by the great Lawrence Kasdan. It wasn’t until last week, however, that the film was essentially green-lit by Warner when the studio signed Louis Leterrier, hot off The Incredible Hulk, to direct the film.
In Clash of the Titans, Perseus, the son of Zeus, must overcome a series of obstacles to save his beloved Princess Andromeda, including cutting off the multi-serpent head of Medusa, who can turn a man to stone with a single glance. It is rumored that Kasdan’s script is a far cry more adult oriented than the 1981 version and could actually earn an R rating (which isn’t nearly as big of a detriment as it used to be).
War of Gods
The second film hoping to be the top sword and sandals epic at theaters is War of Gods. War of Gods is a mythological tale set in war-torn Ancient Greece, as the young warrior prince Theseus leads his men in a battle against evil that will see the gods fighting with soldiers against demons and titans. Relativity Media is prepping the film to be directed by Tarsem Singh (The Fall, The Cell). Relativity has fast tracked the film to get started by year’s end.
Reportedly, both films are expected to use the green screen techniques that gave 300 such a unique look at such a low cost.
Sequel to 300
Speaking of 300, Variety is reporting the sequel rumor as all but a done deal. That’s right. A sequel. To 300. That might be the most insane thing I’ve heard all year. Leave it to Hollywood to make a sequel to a film about 300 men who all died in a battle.
I know I’m in the minority on this, but I DID NOT like the way 300 looked. I found it more distracting and annoying than anything else. If using green screens in this matter is the only way you can afford to make the film, then I just assume you not make it. I didn’t even bother to watch Beowulf because of how much I disliked 300 (I tried, just couldn’t do it).
Green screen effects are nice when they’re seemless or when the artistic style of the film makes an interesting use of them (I loved Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Sin City), but they’re just annoying when it’s obvious you’re only using them because you can’t afford anything else.
Get Ready To Get Your Greek On
So now it’s looking like Clash of the Titans which I had high hopes for will be using this filming technique and that leaves me feeling really disappointed. I can just imagine how cool the movie could be using some modern CGI with some incredible sets. I guess I’m old school.
I can’t imagine that Tarsem Singh whose movies are so visually stimulating would be okay with the bleakness of the green screen backdrops. I know they said that War of Gods would be using those techniques, but it seems that Singh would be taking a dramatic artistic step backward if he were to do so. Then again, money talks so you never know.
Both films are reportedly being fast tracked to get them to theaters as quickly as possible. Like I said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these films go head to head (to head perhaps) at some point down the road.
Didnt they release magician movies at the same time too, Illusionist and then Christian Bales magician one??(can't recall the name) …..”I know I’m in the minority on this, but I DID NOT like the way 300 looked”…, really? I've never heard anyone say that before… interesting…to each their own I guess, right? I dont like shaking movies (Blair Witch, Cloverfield, Bourne Supremeacy fight scenes). Also don't forget Thor in that mix of mythology movies… =)
Yeah, The Illusionist and The Prestige came out around the same time. Maybe we should make a list…there's a bunch - Ants and A Bug's Life were two more I thought of as well as Volcano and Dante's Peak.
Anyway, I just feel that everyone thinks 300 looks cool because it was new and different and everyone was saying how cool it looked. I think there are elements of it that are definitely interesting, but overall I think the movie would have been inherently better if it had been shot on more traditional locations with more traditional (not old) special effects.
I think it was the fighting and the subject matter that helped make the film such a massive hit - more so than the way the film was shot. I think younger people, generally speaking, found the film much more “acceptable” than older people, but that's just an opinion.
Thor is definitely in the mix of mythology movies that will be hitting around the same time. Conan could be as well along with a Red Sonja film that I'll be posting about soon.
I totally forgot about Dantes Peak and volcano (ugh volcano, I actually saw that pool of magma trash)… now you have me wondering how many other ones are similar at the same time, you have a good list already….
Interesting perspective, I just hadn't heard anyone say they didnt like the look of it. Being an older guy, I thought it was somewhat interesting how it was filmed (shot) and made it look different as opposed to your typical spartacus scene. I cant imagine a sequel and if there was ever a prequel, this would be the time….
Additionally, Jason you got me thinking today… theres been a ton of talk of hollywood remake after hollywood remake (now Conan is up for it, crimany man), but I was thinking is there one movie I think was really cool that could be remade and redone extremely well?
And I think I have that movie - a cult classic The Final Countdown… what do you think, yea / nay?
Wow. The Final Countdown.
You know what's so crazy about that suggestion is that, back when I was still in film school, my brother and I did almost a full treatment for an updated version of The Final Countdown. It was more for fun than anything. We were talking about the movie and then started talking about the various things that could be changed to make it even better or how it would change as technologies changed, etc.
Yeah, I still think it could be pretty cool, but I don't think it could be a straight remake. I hate to say a “re-imagining,” but you'd probably have to change some things.
I mean what a great premise and good story for what was done in what, the 1970's right? gosh with todays special effects (AKA Pearl Harbor), how cool would an updated version of this movie be?! Yeah you are hitting it on the head, a reimagining of it, not stragiht but better… what were some of your ideas to improve it?
I'm soooo glad they are redoing Clash - that is one of the few movies that I have ever been in favor for an updated, CGI-laden Hollywood reimaging.
I thought 300 was awesome, and the way it was shot made the movie what it was.
It was supposed to be over the top, like a graphic novel, and was done MUCH better than how they did Wanted.
I agree with this — 300 wouldn't have worked as well as a regular movie shot out in the wild. You wouldn't get the comic book (excuse me, graphic novel
) style look they were going for, and did quite a good job of, IMHO.
As far as it matching history and reality, insufferable drek. Professional armies win by discipline and regulation, not loose formations and individual fighting ability.
I don't know about Wanted since I haven't seen it yet, but 300 was done extremely well. I totally agree with you Mike, it felt like a live-action graphic novel - it was great. It looks fantastic in Blu.
I'm pretty sure I saw it on HD-DVD too and it was simply awesome
I can't remember everything we came up with at the moment, but I think we tossed around the idea of having special forces on the ship who made excursions inland - and I think, but I'm not sure, that we toyed with the concept of a double trip where they change time, end up back in the (now changed) present and somehow go back again. I don't remember the catalyst for that, though.
Even if all the backdrops are fake?
Well, I think that the whole point of 300 was to make it look like an animated/live action version of a graphic novel. So, I guess they accomplished that. The thing with that, though, is that graphic novels look the way they do not necessarily because it's a superior look, but because that's how things look when you draw them and paint them. Putting it on the screen and making it look exactly the same doesn't necessarily make it better - it just makes it look similar.
With Wanted they went the more common route and tried to make it a live action version that was more realistic (as far as the actual settings and scenery). I gathered that your issues were more with the story than they were with how it looked…?
Well, I think 300 wouldn't have looked as “fun” I guess if it had been made like Braveheart. Then it would have felt more like a true epic tale from a real world, whereas the stylized version gave it almost an “otherworldly” fee.
And yeah, Wanted's problem was more of the story than how it looked. They totally made that story up just for that movie and tried to play it off like The Matrix without the heart and style.
Sounds cool, our plan will be if i ever win the lottery we will do a re-envisioning of the movie and you can write it! =)
I didn't tell you? I'm a writer/director. My fees might be a little higher…
I think 300 could have been a lot better shot like Braveheart…and with a better screenplay…but that's just me.
hmmm I dunno, I was thinking more Bryan Singer as director, ya know, since everyone loved Superman returns and all..
So you want me to make the script sucky…?
“So you want me to make the script sucky…?” I cant reply to this option and have to add a new comment… My answer is no, you can make a great script and Singer will make it sucky all on his own…
Come on, he had a little help from that script…