300 TV Series in Early Development at Warner Bros. Television (EXCLUSIVE)

A “300” TV series adaptation is in early development at Warner Bros. Television, Variety has learned from sources.

Exact plot details are still being worked out, but sources say that the show would serve as a prequel to the 2006 film. No writer or platform is currently attached to the project.

Deals are still being negotiated, but Zack Snyder, who directed and co-wrote “300,” is in talks to direct and executive produce the series. Deborah Snyder, who executive produced “300,” would also return as an executive producer under her and Zack’s Stone Quarry production banner, with Stone Quarry’s Wesley Coller also on board. Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Bernie Goldmann — all of whom were producers on the film — are likewise in talks to return.

In the film, Leonidas, the king of Sparta, leads a small force of elite soldiers against the much larger army of Xerxes I of Persia. Gerard Butler starred as Leonidas, with Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. The cast also included Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Tom Wisdom, and Michael Fassbender. The film proved to be a massive hit upon its release, generating over $450 million at the global box office against a reported budget of $65 million. It inspired numerous parodies as well, including the 2008 film “Meet the Spartans” as well as the “South Park” episode “D-Yikes!”

A followup film, “300: Rise of an Empire,” was released in 2014. That film was based on Miller’s graphic novel “Xerxes” with Snyder again co-writing the screenplay but not directing. Multiple original cast members returned, including Headey and Santoro, with Sullivan Stapleton playing the lead role of Themistocles. It was less well received than the original, but still grossed $337 million worldwide on a $110 million budget.

Should the “300” series move forward, it would be the latest in a long line of films being adapted for television as the push for recognizable IP in the streaming world remains strong. Amazon, for example, recently ordered a “Legally Blonde” prequel series about the high school years of Elle Woods and released the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” TV series starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine earlier this year. Apple, meanwhile, is prepping a “Time Bandits” series, while other recent examples include series based on movies like “Fatal Attraction,” “Sexy Beast,” and “Dead Ringers.”

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Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-07-22

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