Zack Snyder Wrote a ‘300’ Sequel That Turned Into a Movie About Alexander the Great, but Warner Bros. Turned it Down

We almost had ourselves a third 300 movie. Sort of. Zack Snyder, director of the first 300 and co-writer of the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire, recently revealed he wrote another 300 sequel that then turned into a love story about Alexander the Great and his general Hephaestion. However, Warner Bros. passed on the project, either because they didn’t like the script or because they don’t like Snyder, depending on who you ask (Snyder seems to think it’s the latter option).

Zack Snyder’s 300, adapted from the Frank Miller graphic novel, was a big hit and solidified Snyder’s role as our preeminent purveyor of slow-motion action entertainment. It also spawned a sequel that wasn’t as beloved, 300: Rise of an Empire. But according to Snyder, the series could’ve continued. Speaking with The Playlist‘s The Fourth Wall podcast, Snyder revealed that during the pandemic he was tasked with writing a third 300 film. However, the project changed into something else while he was writing – a movie about Alexander the Great and his general/lover Hephaestion.

“I just couldn’t really get my teeth into it. Over the pandemic, I had a deal with Warner Brothers and I wrote what was essentially going to be the final chapter in 300,” Snyder said. “But when I sat down to write it I actually wrote a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didn’t fit in as the third movie.”

The relationship between Alexander and Hephaestion has been discussed by scholars for years, with some claiming that the two were just very good friends, akin to brothers, while others stating that the pair were lovers. Oliver Stone’s 2004 film Alexander portrayed the two as lovers, with Colin Farrell playing Alexander and Jared Leto as Hephaestion.

As for Snyder’s movie, he says Warner Bros. passed on the idea. He also seems to think they said no because they don’t like him very much anymore, saying: “But there was that concept, and it came out really great. It’s called Blood and Ashes, and it’s a beautiful love story, really, with warfare. I would love to do it, [WB] said no… you know, they’re not huge fans of mine. It is what it is.”

I don’t know how much interest I’d have in another 300 movie, but I have to admit I’m curious to see Zack Snyder’s Alexander the Great/Hepaestion love story, and it’s a shame WB said no. Perhaps Netflix, who have deep pockets and just worked with Snyder on Army of the Dead, will help him make it a reality some day.

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