The 2006 American epic historical action picture 300 is partially based on the 1998 Frank Miller and Lynn Varley comic book series of the same name. Both are fictionalised accounts of the Greek-Persian Wars’ Battle of Thermopylae. Zack Snyder, who also co-wrote and directed the movie, worked with Miller as an executive producer and consultant. Superimposition chroma key was mostly used in the filming to mimic the artwork from the original comic book. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartans into battle against the Persian “God-King” Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his advancing army of more than 300,000 men, serves as the centre of the story. Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) makes an effort to gain Spartan support for her husband as the conflict continues.
The narrative: a voice-over narration by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham) serves as the frame. Numerous strange creatures are presented by this narrative style, classifying 300 as historical fantasy.
On December 9, 2006, 300 had its Austin Butt-Numb-A-Thon debut. On February 14, 2007, it debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival. On March 9, 2007, it was released in conventional and IMAX 8 theatres in the United States. On July 31, 2007, it was released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD. The movie garnered mixed reviews; some praised its graphics and style while others criticised its portrayal of Persians, which they deemed to be racist or Iranophobic. The movie’s opening weekend was the 24th-largest in box office history at the time, grossing nearly $456 million. A sequel, titled Rise of an Empire, based on Miller’s previously unpublished graphic novel prequel Xerxes, was released on March 7, 2014.