Rodrigo Santoro talks playing ‘Xerxes’ again in 300: Battle of Artemisia

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

We already know Rodrigo Santoro will be returning to the world of 300 in 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA. But what we don’t know is how the actor feels about returning to the franchise.

Luckily for us Cinema Blend recently got a chance to chat it up with the actor regarding his upcoming comedy WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING. But we don’t care about that. What we do care about is what Santoro had to say regarding BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA. Check it:

“We’re going to start shooting in July. I have started going to the gym. It’s a lot of work. People don’t know how much work we have to put into this – especially for Xerxes. It’s not only about working out, but, you know, the character has a very specific look. People ask me, “Were you bald?” I had to shave, workout, there’s five hours of makeup. “

And in response to that ungodly amount of piercings: “Piercings are all very delicate. So it’s a lot to get there. It’s the first time that I’m returning to a character, I’ve never played the same character twice. That’s interesting, I want to try and make this experience fresh, somehow for me. I want to find different layers. Let’s see what the script is going to give me, because they’re still working on it. They’re working on the last draft. I’m looking forward to show something to the fans that they haven’t seen in the first one, in 300. We’re all excited. The interesting thing about this is that they’re not calling it a prequel or a sequel or a spin-off. There’s a bit of what you saw in 300 and what happened a little bit before. It’s interesting the take they have on it.”

So there you have it folks! Just a little bit to help get you excited for 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA before it’s August 2, 2013 release date.

Artemisia is based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel that takes Xerxes, the Persian leader who is an antagonist in 300, and turns him into more of a pivotal figure. He’s a man in search of godhood after the death of his father, battling an Athenian warlord named Themistocles. The story takes place over the course of several years, but the focal point is the battle of Artemisium, which occurred in 480 BC.

The film stars Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Sullivan Stapleton, Callan Mulvey and Jamie Blackley and comes from director Noam Murro. I’m sure we can expect a lot more updates from this one when things start rolling this July.