In what, if true, has to be one of the major studio reversals in years, Warner Bros. has supposedly offered Guy Ritchie the chance to direct an adaptation of Frank Miller’s Xerxes, the prequel/sequel to Miller’s 300, which was one the most successful (in ratio of revenue generated versus expense of production) comic book movies of all time. Zack Snyder, who directed 300, had been preparing to helm Xerxes (see “Snyder Writing 300 Sequel”), so the fact that the studio has offered the project to Ritchie is quite shocking.

 

The source of the Ritchie/Xerxes rumor is New York Magazine’s usually reliable Vulture Blog, which provides several explanations for the move, the most convincing of which is Warner Bros.’ need to get Snyder’s Superman movie made in a hurry or face losing rights to the property (see “Warners, DC Win Superman Suit”). Clearly getting the Superman movie made is a major priority at Warners. And since it’s been 4 years since the 300 movie stormed theaters, the studio may have thought it was also important to get going on the Xerxes project while there were still a few people out there who remembered how popular the 300 movie was. Miller’s Xerxes, which will be published first as a six-issue mini-series and then collected as a graphic novel, is due to launch this year (see “Miller’s Xerxes Underway”).

 

Vulture also speculated that Warner Bros. is very disappointed in Snyder’s genre mash-up Sucker Punch, which debuts on March 25th and reportedly has had some less than triumphant preview screenings. Snyder’s Watchmen and Legend of the Guardians were underwhelming at the box office, but then the studio was pretty much aware of that when they gave him the reins to The Man of Steel project.