Xerxes is back! Rodrigo Santoro joins 300: Battle of Artemisia

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

We knew that the giant jewel-bedecked Persian king Xerxes was coming back for 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA, the adaptation of Frank Miller’s upcoming prequel to, of course, 300, but it wasn’t known if actor Rodrigo Santoro would be slapping on the chains and having his voice digitally altered to sound like a brutish drag queen once again… Well sir, now it is.

Deadline.com has confirmed that Santoro will once again play Xerxes, the memorable antagonist from the first film (though Omelete got the jump on them via a chat with Santoro himself). He and Eva Green are the villains of the piece, while Jamie Blackley and Sullivan Stapleton are the heroes.

300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA is being directed by Noam Murro from a script by Kurt Johnstad. Here’s the premise: 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.

It’s interesting to note that Santoro says in his Omelete interview that ARTEMISIA actually takes place at the same time as 300; in other words, he claims it’s not a true prequel.. Hopefully soon all the details will become clear.

Eva Green