UK: After taking America by storm, cast and makers of "300" hope to win over audiences in the UK

Record ID: 219513

  • Title: UK: After taking America by storm, cast and makers of "300" hope to win over audiences in the UK
  • Date: 22nd March 2007
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF ACTOR GERARD BUTLER ARRIVING AND POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH FANS FANS TAKING PHOTOS / POLICEMAN WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR GERARD BUTLER SAYING: "I didn't know what to expect to be honest. You know, I hoped that there would be a big reception but then I also expected that there might be no reception. I didn't know what the feeling was here when we arrived - especially after the U.S."
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2007 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVA79QS411RO1T7P0HKMNNJUDRSC
  • Story Text: The cast of the big screen adaptation of Frank Miller comic "300" attended the UK premiere of the film which had a record March-opening in the U.S., making 71 million U.S. dollars during its debut weekend. With a record-breaking March opening weekend behind them, the cast and crew of "300" were all smiles as they arrived at London's Leicester Square on Thursday (March 15) for the film's UK premiere.
    Based on a graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, "300" sees U.S. director Zack Snyder using cutting edge technology to tell an ancient tale in his new film, an ultra-violent depiction of the legendary battle between Spartans and Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC.
    Severed limbs fly, decapitations get the slow motion treatment, Persians are gorged by a charging rhinoceros, elephants are dashed on the rocks and the blood flows everywhere. And it is all achieved thanks to computer generated special effects, including the almost exclusive use of blue screens behind actors on which the background was later superimposed.
    Upon the release of the film, Warner Brothers, the studio behind "300", hoped that Snyder could repeat the box office success of another Miller adaptation "Sin City", which made 160 million U.S. dollars (USD) worldwide from a 40 million (USD) budget, according to movie site www.boxofficemojo.com.
    It was not easy getting the project off the ground, according to Snyder, who said he had had a hard time getting the project pitched to film studios, especially because the release of "Troy" in 2004 led to "sandal fatigue" in Hollywood.
    But after breaking the records in the United States with the best March-opening and the third best R-rated debut ever, and studio bosses saying they were "beyond excited", Snyder can now breathe a sigh of relief. The director, whose only previous feature film was the 2004 horror hit "Dawn of the Dead" said he believed the success of "300" meant film studios would have more trust in his intuition in the future.
    "I feel like, I don't think that I proved them wrong but at least I think that the gamble that they took has paid off so maybe in the future if I ask for something crazy they might think that's cool," he said.
    If Snyder is feeling confident, so is his leading man, Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who plays the role of King Leonidas. Butler, who has starred in films including "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and "Dear Frankie" was widely believed to be on the verge of a break through as he took on the role of the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera" in 2004. Instead it took a six-pack, torso-revealing capes and shorts to propel the actor into Hollywood fame.
    Speaking to Reuters on the red carpet Butler said good offers had been pouring in but added he had wanted to wait and see how "300" would do before making any decisions. The actor admitted to feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of attention he had received recently.
    "Yeah but, you know, I am so happy that this movie has done so well but at the same time, there's other things that come with that, you know, I think I must have got about 300 calls over the weekend, and I'm not very good at ignoring it so I'm like, 'Who's calling, who's calling' and it was kind of a mixture of adulation and stress. I think that in time it will sink in but I've just been letting it come in a little slowly at the moment," he said.
    Since the film's publicity tour began not too long ago, it has been difficult for the filmmakers and cast alike to dodge comparison's of the film's content to the current war in Iraq, and the seemingly unfaltering policies of Unites States President George W. Bush.
    The most recent addition to the controversy came from Iran, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cultural advisor said the film represented another effort by the U.S. to humiliate Iran, saying that the film depicts Iranians as demons without culture. In addition, four Iranian MP's have reportedly asked for the local foreign and cultural ministers to appeal to other Muslim countries to ban the "anti-Iranian" movie.
    "I didn't mean to insult anyone, it's a fantasy film, I hope, honestly, that people who feel that the film has in what ever way insulted them that they realise that's not what I intended in any way, so, I just hope that that gets through to them," said Snyder when asked for his take on the controversy.
    "I think, it was never, this film never, the intention was never to offend anyone. It's just a film based on a graphic novel and it's based on fiction and the graphic novel is all fantasy and it's loosely based on historical events. So, that's the only thing we can say, I really feel sorry for that, but it wasn't the intent(ion)," added Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, who in the film plays Persian king Xerxes.
    "300" opens in the United Kingdom on March 22.
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