Last year, Zack Snyder developed an idea for a new 300 sequel, this time centered on a romance between Alexander the Great and his closest confidant.
Zack Snyder reveals his 300 sequel focusing on a gay romance with Alexander the Great was rejected by Warner Bros. Well before Snyder was given the keys to WB’s budding DC universe, the director first partnered with the studio on the swords and sandals epic 300.
Based on the comic series by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, the film centered on a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae, as Spartan king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) led 300 men against the incredible might of the Persian army.
Though 300 inspired some controversy over its historical accuracy and depiction of Persians, it was a box office success and has become a favorite among Snyder fans.
300 was released in 2007, and a sequel followed seven years later, after Snyder had already kicked off the DCEU with Man of Steel. Snyder produced and co-wrote 300: Rise of an Empire, though it was directed by Noam Murro.
Rise of an Empire wasn’t as financially successful as 3oo and earned poorer reviews. Nevertheless, Snyder confirmed back in 2016 he still had some ideas for 300 sequels, some of which could actually move the franchise outside of Ancient Greece.
It turns out Snyder was still working on 300 as recently as last year, though Warner Bros. rejected his latest idea. While speaking to The Playlist, Snyder revealed he spent some time during the pandemic developing a third and final 300, as per his deal with WB.
Interestingly, though, his work pushed him in the direction of a love story between Alexander the Great and his closest confidant Hephaestion. Warner Bros. was not interested. Snyder said:
“I just couldn’t really get my teeth into it. Over the pandemic, I had a deal with Warner Brothers and I wrote what was essentially going to be the final chapter in ‘300.’ But when I sat down to write it I actually wrote a different movie.
I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didn’t fit in as the third movie.
“But there was that concept, and it came out really great. It’s called ‘Blood and Ashes,’ and it’s a beautiful love story, really, with warfare. I would love to do it, [WB] said no… you know, they’re not huge fans of mine. It is what it is.”
Snyder’s relationship with Warner Bros. has soured considerably over the past year. Signs of trouble first emerged in 2017 over the production of Justice League; Snyder ultimately departed due to a family tragedy.
This led to the fervent fan campaign for the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, which WB finally released this year. That reignited fan interest in Snyder’s complete DCEU plan, dubbed the “SnyderVerse,” but Warner Bros. has so far resisted calls to restore it.
In recent days, Snyder has opened up further about his relationship with WB, even going so far as to say the studio “tortured me” over Justice League.
While 300 is a very different project than the DCEU, it’s clear the creative partnership between Snyder and Warner Bros. is no longer a positive one. The studio isn’t very interested in the stories Snyder wishes to tell, which is a shame since his 300 sequel idea sounded quite compelling.
However, if Warner Bros. wanted another bloody, war-centric tale, it sounds like Snyder moved in a very different direction, thus leading to the studio saying no. Snyder has since found a new home with Netflix, and that appears to be a much more positive relationship for him. Perhaps he’ll find more creative freedom there.
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