Close to a decade after the original film was released “300: Rise of an Empire” comes as a peculiar follow up given that it is part a prequel and part sequel that aims to explain the origins and ripples of the Spartans’ feat during the first installment. In the years that separate these two works writer/director and now producer Zach Snyder released films such as “Watchmen” and “Man of Steel” becoming one of the most bankable names in the industry. Being so busy with all his other projects Snyder decided to delegate the juicy follow-up to his mythological action hit to a director with not a big name but who could ensure the stylistic vision would be kept intact. The chosen one was Noam Murro.

This new chapter focuses on the free Greeks’ side of the story, not so eager to die, as the Spartans were, these men offer a different perspective into the legendary universe these franchise attempts to depict. Trapped in this testosterone-fueled world the villain this time around is a bloodthirsty female. Played by Eva Green, Artemisia’s goal is to inflict pain and chaos upon the Greeks that once humiliated her and abused her. “It’s rad to see a strong woman in an action film. She is like a man in a woman’s body. She is really ballsy, very brave. She was traumatized as a child so she built this armor around her to survive and she became so driven by vengeance, blinded by vengeance, obsessed. She is bunkers,” said Green about her character.

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According to Snyder the prominent theme of family ties and loyalty was an easy choice for him to ground his script for “Rise of an Empire.” Among these important family relationships is that of Scyllias, played by Callan Mulvey, and Calisto played by Jack O’Connell, a father and a son who become brothers in arms in order to help Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) defend Greece. For newcomer O’Connell the experience of bringing this brave new soldier to live was rather exciting “I was very happy to be able to introduce a youth element to the story and obviously that becomes relevant to the paternal relationship with Collin’s Character Celius and they battle mentally can potentially age an individual. I didn’t think it feature the original film I think it was a new idea from the writing team”

On his part Mulvey noted he had the freedom to barging his character to life given that the world around them was very carefully designed by the filmmakers “Stylistically that part of the world had been taken care of. It was primarily up to us to find those humanistic threads in our characters and portray those in a realistic way.” Director Murro, who admitted he joined the cast in their intense physical training, also mentioned the difference between his film and Snyder’s original piece “Thematically there is an expansion here. The idea that most of it is happening at sea allows you to do something that it is different. Part of the challenge was the fact that“300” really changed filmmaking when it came out, and how to you keep ties with that. Not making it exactly the same but still having connection to the original.”

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Kurt Johnstand, Snyder’s co-writer in both films, provide some insight on how a movie with such grand scale cans till be personal “The action always plays out, it is really about the character, and the moments between characters. The silences that the characters can play between each other, they don’t necessarily need to be talking. It is the idea of people, of an army of conquest vs. an army of survival and defense, if you look at the movie through that lens then it is pretty easy to start feeling fro somebody, they are fighting for their wife, or their child, or their farm” stated Johnstand.

The sensibility infused by the writing is paired with the evident physical challenges that according to director Noam Murro is part of a wholesome transformation fro the actors “It is almost like choreography or danse, that is part of the body that needs to be addressed. In addition to the six-pack and all that, there is also a mental part to make it all come together” All the lifting and sword fighting, which was Greens favorite part of the training, that the cast endured helped them create not only a visual spectacle but a really interesting piece of entertaining fictitious history. With even more shirtless man groaning for victory, a sexy and spitefully diabolical villain, and astonishing visuals, the Persians and Greeks return to theaters this weekend for yet another battle.

“Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel Xerxes, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. “300: Rise of an Empire” pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy. The action adventure stars Sullivan Stapleton (“Gangster Squad”) as Themistokles and Eva Green (“Dark Shadows,” “Casino Royale”) as Artemisia. Lena Headey reprises her starring role from “300” as the Spartan Queen, Gorgo; Hans Matheson (“Clash of the Titans”) stars as Aeskylos; David Wenham returns as Dilios, and Rodrigo Santoro stars again as the Persian King, Xerxes.”