First Look at Frank Miller's Xerxes Probably Won't Thrill Iran

Three years ago, the screen adaptation of Frank Miller's brutal graphic novel 300 became a global smash. Or it was a smash everywhere but Iran, which somehow objected to the depiction of an androgynous, bedazzled Persian king Xerxes laying cruel waste to the scrappy, ab-happy Spartans. The ethnic implications seemed the least of moviegoers' concerns -- not to mention Miller's own, which have now returned to the mega-pierced monarch for the prequel Xerxes. The author still has a ways to go on the project, but I think we all know a movie adaptation is inevitable. As such, a first look at Xerxes -- who makes Mr. T look like the Dalai Lama -- clues us in to what will be pissing Iran off in the next two to three years.

For what it's worth, the LAT has Zack Snyder on the record affirming, ""If the book is awesome and compelling, then, yes, we're interested." ("We" = himself and 300 producer Thomas Tull.) And while Miller acknowledges that Xerxes will feature a more skeptical and/or mocking point of view on the Spartans, he dismissed any political influence on his perspective shift: "That's nonsense. This is a very different story, but when it comes to 300 I make no apologies whatsoever." Nevertheless:

"There is an aftermath that is like an extension of 300 because 300 ended so abruptly with all of them getting mowed down by arrows. I do get into what happened after that and what the entire thing means to Xerxes. Xerxes is a megalomaniac and takes everything as a sign of his godhood. I've known people like that."

Don't we all? Except those I've known haven't rocked Luftwaffe wings, narrow-slit murder-cat eyes, a gold G-string and about 200 pounds of chains, pasties and other jewelry. Maybe someday.

· Frank Miller returns to the '300' battlefield with 'Xerxes': 'I make no apologies whatsoever' [LAT]