Sullivan Stapleton Leading the Greeks in 300 Prequel

There have been several would-be successors to the throne in the years since, but there can be only one 300.

Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures are banking on that with their long-planned prequel 300: The Battle of Artemisia. After a game of casting musical chairs that included Joel Edgerton, Variety reports the studios have settled on Sullivan Stapleton (ironically Edgerton's Animal Kingdom co-star) for the follow-up, which according to the trades is no longer going by its Battle of Artemisia title nor will be a prequel or sequel per say adding the filmmakers are "still figuring out its positioning."

Stapleton will play Themistocles, the general who fought off the Persians with his Greek army in 480 BCE. Meanwhile, "TOLDJA" adds Rodrigo Santoro will return as Xerxes (Earlier indication suggested the filmmakers were going to recast). No word on if Eva Green will, in fact, join the cast as Artemisia as first reported by Heat Vision.

Noam Murro (Smart People) will direct.