Will We See Another 300?

The first 300 was great, and the second installment was good. Is it time now for a third movie in the franchise? All signs point to yes.

The original remains one of the most beloved adaptations from a graphic comic book, creating an exciting, engaging, and not to mention visually stunning world that touched on history with an entertaining atmosphere. It was released in 2007 and while critics were never crazy about it, fans absolutely adored it. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie received just 60 percent positive reviews from critics, but an 89 percent positive rating from fans. The movie was a huge success financially too, grossing $450 million, which made it the 24th highest-grossing movie ever following its initial run. The movie is highly quotable, incredibly rewatchable and includes an underrated case that, beyond lead Gerard Butler, includes Dominic West and Michael Fassbender.

To show the movie’s cultural importance you only need to look two places. The first is Gala Bingo, which features a takeoff on the movie with its 300 Shields game that presents players high risk for higher rewards to test their courage. The second is the parody film Meet the Spartans that poked fun at the original and the graphic comic book genre. When you are getting online games and parodies made about you, then you are doing something right.

With the success of 300 it makes sense that a sequel was made in 2014’s 300: Rise of an Empire. While this movie failed to capture the magic of the original, it still remained a rousing success from a business perspective. The movie grossed more than $330 million against a $100 million budget. Part of that financial success comes from the global audience. The story of Greek warriors fighting against a godlike-evil translates well to different countries with fans enjoying not only the story, but the action scenes as well.

So where are we to getting a third movie to complete the trilogy and likely bring the series to a close? Kurt Johnstad, the screenwriter for the first movie, discussed the possibility in a 2014 interview with Fandango.

"I think there's potential for making a third movie here," he said. "[300 director] Zack [Snyder] and I have a very clear idea of what the third and last kind of trilogy would be for this world. And if we're given the opportunity and the world embraces this movie, people get excited about it and the studio gets behind it, we're ready to write that movie."

In the same article, Noam Murro, who directed the second film in the series, was even more enthusiastic. “If you ask me if there is room for a third movie, the answer is 'Absolutely, yes!'"

With the financial success and global appeal of the first two movies established, a third is likely to happen sooner rather than later. One thing Hollywood has shown in recent years is a want to stay with successful titles instead of creating new characters and new stories. For fans of 300, that is great news.