Ancient mythology returns to the big screen in two major motion pictures set to battle for moviegoer moolah. Relativity’s War of the Gods and Warner Bros.’ remake of the Ray Harryhausen favorite Clash of the Titans are close to nailing down their male leads. According to The Hollywood Reporter Henry Cavill (Stardust) is likely to topline Gods, while rising star Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) circles the role of Perseus in Clash.
Getting to theaters first is paramount for War of the Gods, a title which doesn’t have the name recognition to lean on. The pic is scheduled to go before the camera as early as February, while Clash is slated for an April start. Co-produced by Thunder Road and Legendary Pictures, Clash has the advantage of familiarity, at least among fanboys and other fans of the original pic, which employed Harryhausen’s signature style of stop-motion animation to bring mythical creatures to life. His vision of Medusa is particularly entrenched in pop culture.
CG will replace puppet animation in the remake, and will also play a big role in War of the Gods. Both movies are likely to use green-screen technology to keep the budgets under $100 million. The strategy worked for director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel 300, whose producers are also behind War of the Gods. Tarsem Singh (The Fall, The Cell) is directing. Clash is being helmed by French director Louis Leterrier, who most recently helmed Marvel Studios’ The Incredible Hulk.
