Rodrigo Santoro will return as Xerxes in 300: Battle of Artemisia

Rodrigo Santoro has been confirmed to reprise his role as Xerxes in the kinda-sequel, 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA. Santoro joins Eva Green as Artemisia, Sullivan Stapleton as Themistocles, and Jamie Blackley as Calisto, all under the helm of director Noam Murro (SMART PEOPLE).

The film is currently in pre-production with an eye towards hitting the screen sometime in 2013.  Story details are sparse and it’s not entirely clear how much of the story will be based on Frank Miller’s as-yet-to-be-released graphic novel, Xerxes.

Here’s a rumored synopsis:

Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is pushed into the bloody battle with the Greeks by the gold-covered maven goddess Artemisia (Eva Green). Artemisia, witnessing just how much his father King Darius’s death has affected him, persuades Xerxes – with her “vindictive charm” – to go into battle against those responsible.

Artemisia tells Xerxes that he has no choice but to avenge his father’s death and has to man up before becoming king. So, he sets off to become a God because that’s the only way he can win the battle. Artemisia, on her hunt for a group of men to join Xerxes in the battle against the Greeks, doesn’t stop at brainwashing Xerxes. She also manages to convince Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) to side with her somewhat.

Though the Persians took his family, and he’s spent ten years training the Greeks for battle, Artemisia has such an allure about her that the muscly Greek is taken. Ultimately, she convinces him that his life will be better off if he swaps sides. But he’s also as good a liar as he is a fighter.

I loved the first 300 and count it among my all-time favorites, but I don’t have a lot of steam building for a sequel.  Director Noam Murro is such an oddball choice to direct the film as well, having an unproven talent for this type of genre.  At least there’s Eva Green, I suppose…

More as this develops.