More details about Frank Millers comic-book sequel to 300 wouldn’t be film news per se, if it wasn’t extremely likely that whatever he produces will end up on the big screen. When speaking with The LA Times (for an article about Hollywood going Greek!), Miller reveals the story will be called Xerxes, and “it’s the Battle of Marathon though my lens.”
I’m far from an expert on historical Grecian battles, but the little bit of digging I did made it quite evident how important this battle was. Marathon marked the first victory of the Greeks over the Persians (whose massive empire barely felt it). It was a unifying victory that allowed Athens to flourish and for the seeds of Western Culture to be planted. The effectiveness of the phalanx formations used by the Greeks became evident at Marathon- before then, the city-states had all just been using it on each other to no special effect.
The history of the battle does admittedly accentuate the themes of strength through unity and democracy, as well as the impossibility of invincibility that 300 explored (to varying degrees), so it seems a good fit. The comic will begin “about 10 year before the events of 300” which means this could be a mix of sequel and prequel if the story spans many years (perhaps ending with Xerxes’ assassination in 465 by a member of his own court).
Miller still has plenty of work left on Xerxes,
“I’ve finished the plot and I’m getting started on the artwork.”
…so even if this does get immediately fast-tracked into film production after its release, it will be a few years before it could make it to the silver screen.
Miller has a few other comments about the surge of Greek properties in Hollywood over at the LA Times (which I caught via SuperheroHype).
As you might have guessed, Wikipedia was instrumental in writing this article with a minimum of retard.