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'Clash of the Titans' trailer released; mythology Hollywood's next big trend?
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Sam Worthington in "Clash of the Titans" (c) Warner Brothers 2010
Mythology is high concept by definition, when you think about it: gods and monsters, rescuing damsels in distress, tons of action and lots of special effects ops. Ironically, kids tend to nod off when these units come up in school. Warner Brothers has released a teaser trailer for “Clash of the Titans,” which is going to go a long ways towards convincing the all-important male adolescent audience that Greek mythology is cool. (Click the link to go to the official movie website and see the trailer in high-def.) “Clash of the Titans,” which opens on March 26, 2010, is a remake of the 1981 movie which was the last gasp for Ray Harryhausen’s brand of stop motion special effects.
Louis Leterrier, director of “The Transporter” movies and “The Incredible Hulk,” seems to have made something a bit more contemporary.
According to the official plot synopsis:
“…the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.”
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" (c) 20th Century Fox 2010
This doesn’t actually sound a whole lot like the original movie, which didn’t bear that much resemblance to the actual Greek myths to begin with. It does sound like a really good, “Lord of the Rings” influenced story (with maybe a little of the Disney “Hercules” thrown in) in its own right, though. The trailer looks and sounds sort of a like a heavy metal “Lord of the Rings,” which isn’t actually a bad thing.
The international cast also includes recent James Bond alumni Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”) as Io and Mads Mikkelson (“Casino Royale”) as Draco, Alexa Davalos (“Defiance”) as Andromeda, Danny Huston (“30 Days of Night,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “Edge of Darkness”) as Poseidon, Jason Flemyng (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” “Transporter 2,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Polly Walker (“Patriot Games” and TV’s “Rome” and “Caprica”). Despite having walked off “The Tourist,” which is still reportedly starring Angelina Jolie (who is so far about the only person not to walk off “The Tourist”), and not having nabbed the “Mad Max” role, Sam Worthington is right on the edge of stardom, with his starring role in James Cameron’s “Avatar,” possibly the most expensive movie ever made, set to open next month.
A month or so earlier, Twentieth Century Fox is scheduled to release “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” based on Rick Riordan’s series of novels for young readers. Logan Lerman plays the title character, a boy living in modern day New York City, who finds out he’s the son of the god Poseidon. Director Chris Columbus, who directed the first two “Harry Potter” movies, has also brought an international cast on board to play his immortals. Sean Bean plays Zeus, Kevin McKidd plays Poseidon, Pierce Brosnan plays Chiron, Uma Thurman plays Medusa, Rosario Dawson plays Persephone, and an uncredited Ray Winstone, who replaced Robert DeNiro in Martin Campbell’s “Edge of Darkness,” plays Ares, the god of war. In the movie, if you take the elevator in the Empire State Building ALL the way to the top, you get off at Mt. Olympus, which looks not un-Hogwarts-esque.
"Thor" Photo: (c) and TR Marvel Characters all rights reserved
Also mythology-based, “Thor” is the latest in the slate of Marvel comic book adaptations heading to the big screen. Actor/director Kenneth Branagh is directing the production which is scheduled to start principal photography in January. The comic book series chronicles the adventures of the Norse god of thunder on modern day Earth. Also cast in the movie are Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Thor’s mortal love interest, Colm Feore, Stellan Skarsgard and Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s nemesis, Loki. Paramount releases “Thor” on May 20, 2011.
As is always the case in Hollywood, imitation is the sincerest form of creativity, so if any of these movies hit big, you can expect plenty more.
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