• Action
• Drama
• War

300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

Released in 2014 as both a prequel and a sequel to the 2007 hit 300, 300: Rise of an Empire tells a sprawling story that begins with the Battle of Marathon, where the Athenian general Themistocles kills the Persian King Darius I. This act sets off a chain of events where Darius’s son, Xerxes, is manipulated by the vengeful naval commander Artemisia to transform himself into a "God-King" and launch a full-scale invasion of Greece. While King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans fight at Thermopylae (the events of the first film), Themistocles attempts to unite the Greek city-states by leading their fleet in the naval Battle of Artemisium. The conflict is personal for Artemisia, a Greek-born woman who was traumatized by Greek hoplites and sought refuge with the Persians. After a series of brutal sea engagements and a failed attempt by Artemisia to seduce Themistocles to her side, the Greek fleet is heavily damaged. However, following the sacrifice of the 300 Spartans, Queen Gorgo of Sparta finally decides to join the war effort. The film reaches its climax at the Battle of Salamis, where the combined Greek forces, led by Themistocles and reinforced by the Spartan navy, engage the Persian armada. In a final bloody duel, Themistocles kills Artemisia, and the Greek victory signals a turning point in the war against Xerxes. The film features Sullivan Stapleton as the Athenian general Themistocles and Eva Green in a standout performance as the ruthless Artemisia. Lena Headey reprises her role as Queen Gorgo, providing the film's narration, while Rodrigo Santoro returns as the towering God-King Xerxes. Other returning cast members include David Wenham as Dilios and Andrew Tiernan as the traitorous Ephialtes. New additions to the franchise include Hans Matheson as Aeskylos, Callan Mulvey as Scyllias, and Jack O’Connell as the young soldier Calisto. Directed by Noam Murro and produced by Zack Snyder, the film maintains the highly stylized, "ink-wash" visual aesthetic and slow-motion action choreography established by its predecessor. Produced on a budget of $110 million, the film was a significant financial success, though it did not quite reach the heights of the original 300. It earned $106.6 million domestically in the United States and Canada, while performing even stronger internationally with $231 million, bringing its total worldwide box office gross to approximately $337.6 million. Despite mixed reviews from critics—who praised Eva Green's performance and the visual spectacle but felt the plot lacked the emotional weight of the first movie—it was a hit in IMAX and 3D formats, which accounted for a large portion of its opening weekend revenue.As of early 2026, 300: Rise of an Empire is widely available for streaming on Max (formerly HBO Max) in most territories, as it is a Warner Bros. Discovery property. In several international regions, including parts of Europe and Asia, the film is also available on Amazon Prime Video. For those without a subscription, the movie remains a staple on Video-on-Demand (VOD) platforms such as Apple TV, Google Play, and the Amazon Store, where it can be rented or purchased in 4K Ultra HD. Read More

• 2014
• 1 h : 42 min
• 409 views
• 6.313
• R