I expect the Comic Con news deluge from Devin and Nick to start anytime
now.  But there’s some pretty big news this week that actually came from
someplace else other than San Diego.  The LA Times reports that Zack Snyder has closed the deal to write the follow-up to 300, Frank Miller’s Xerxes, and he’s already at work on the script with 300 collaborator, Kurt Johnstad.  “We closed the writing deal on Xerxes. We started writing about a week ago,” Snyder said.  “So we’re doing it. It’s happening.” 

However, while the writing deal is set, that’s not a guarantee that he will return to direct the sequel: “It’s really going to depend on what the studio wants to do and what we
do when we finish; I don’t have a directing deal in place but we are writing
it, so call it intent,” Snyder said with a chuckle when [reporter Geoff Bucher] visited his
office the other day. “If there was a crime they could probably convict
me.” 

Snyder remarked that this installment will follow Themistocles and the Battle of Artemisium, which occurred on the same three days as 300’s Battle of Thermopylae.  “This one starts off with a quick retelling of the why of the
Persian wars. It starts off at the Battle of Marathon and then it goes
back to Themistocles finding out that Persians are invading again.  And
off we go over to learn a little bit about why Xerxes is the way he is.” 

For those of you who don’t know (i.e. me), Themistocles was an Athenian politician and general who lived from circa 524–459 BC.  He was a political rival of Aristides who also fought in the Battle of Marathon.  He was an advocate of a strong Athenian navy, which proved crucial in the fight against the Persians.  In later years, he earned the enmity of Sparta by insisting Athena be refortified and even found himself on the outs with his own people.  Themistocles was ostracized from Athena and went into exile in Argos.  But in an unusual twist, he was plotted against by the Spartans and eventually went to work for the reigning Persian king, Artaxerxes I. 

Back in the here and now, Snyder’s upcoming Sucker Punch will be heavily featured at Comic Con.  You can click over to the LA Times for more.