Summary
The classic action movie300transformed Gerard Butler’s Hollywood career and just may be the peak of his extensive filmography.300was released in the United States on June 08, 2025, and became the tenth highest-grossing movie of that year,earning $456 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million. The epic action film was only Zack Snyder’s second feature directorial effort following his breakout 2004 horror filmDawn of the Dead. The success and cultural impact of 300 led Snyder to take on other massive blockbusters such asWatchmen(2009),Man of Steel(2013), andJustice League(2017).
The impressive box office performance of300inspired a sequel in 2014, althoughSnyder did not direct300: Rise of an Empire. A300prequel serieshas recently been reported to be in the works at Warner Bros, with Snyder rumored to be attached. Following thelackluster critical reception ofRebel Moon, Snyder’s latest action franchise with Netflix, Snyder plans to expand hisArmy of the Deadmovie from 2021 with a feature film sequel and a television series,Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas. AlthoughButler never reprised his role as King Leonidas due to the ending of300, his performance left an indelible impact on the trajectory of his career.
Gerard Butler Was Not A Leading Action Star Prior To 300
Butler acted in a variety of dramas, romances, and other genres
Butler made his feature film debut in 1997’sMrs. Brown, a period drama starring Judi Dench and Billy Connolly that was nominated for 2 Academy Awards. Butler starred in several dramas throughout the 1990s and early 2000s until he broke into the action genre in 2003’sLara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Lifealongside Angelina Jolie. Butler continued starring in dramas and romantic films such asDear Frankie(2004) andThe Phantom of the Opera(2004) before appearing as Beowulf in 2005’sBeowulf & Grendel. Once300was released, Butler became a global sensation known best for his unforgettable portrayal of King Leonidas.
Before the release of300, Butler was considered to be a versatile actor with a wide range and a leading man in dramas, romances, and action movies. Once300skyrocketed Butler to international acclaim, he would inevitably be linked to the action genre for the rest of his career.Butler’s fame led him to star in a slate of romantic comedies as well, such asP.S. I Love You(2007) with Hilary Swank,The Ugly Truth(2009) with Katherine Heigl, andThe Bounty Hunter(2010) with Jennifer Aniston. Most of his comedies were ripped apart by critics, indicating that a return to the action genre would be best for Butler’s career.
Gerard Butler’s Upcoming Sequel Further Confirms The Return Of This Exciting Action Genre
The announcement of a sequel of a Gerard Butler action movie is further proof that one subset of the genre is making a comeback in the 2020s.
300’s Massive Success Brought Worldwide Attention
Butler starred in action thrillers such as Gamer and Law Abiding Citizen
Gerard Butler became an internationally recognized leading man following the release of300, which essentially cemented his role in the action genre for years to come. He immediately starred in the 2008 action thrillerRocknRollawhich was written and directed by Guy Ritchie, a legendary action filmmaker, before starring in the psychologicalaction thrillerGamerand the action crime thrillerLaw Abiding Citizenalongside Jamie Foxxin 2009. He also voiced the character named Stoick in the celebrated Dreamworks animated adventure movieHow to Train Your Dragonin 2010.
Butler then starred in the underrated 2011 war thrillerCoriolanusalongside Ralph Fiennes and went on to star in several action movies throughout the 2010s, such asMachine Gun Preacher(2011),Olympus Has Fallen(2013),Gods of Egypt(2016),London Has Fallen(2016),Geostorm(2017),Den of Thieves(2018),Hunter Killer(2018), andAngel Has Fallen(2019). While virtually none of these films seemed to win over critics, several of them turned out to be box office successes and are among the highest-grossing movies of his career.London Has FallenandGeostormboth made $206 million worldwide.
The True Story Of 300: Rise Of An Empire’s Battles Of Artemisium & Salamis
300: Rise of an Empire focuses on some major parts of the Greco-Persian War, but how accurate is it to the historical truth of its battles?
Butler’s Performance As King Leonidas Is The Actor At His Best
Few actors could match Butler’s intensity as King Leonidas
Butler’s streak of starring in action movies has continued into the 2020s with the disaster action thrillerGreenland(2020), the conspiracy action thrillerLast Seen Alive(2022), and the 2023 action thrillersPlaneand Kandahar. Butler has shown zero sign of slowing down as a leading man in action movies.He will reprise his role as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien in the highly anticipatedDen of ThievessequeltitledDen of Thieves 2: Pantera, which is expected to be released in early 2025. He will also reprise his role as Stoick in the live-action adaptation ofHow to Train Your Dragon, which is also slated for a 2025 release date.
On top of all that, Butler will reprise his role in aGreenlandsequel calledGreenland: Migration, adding yet again another action movie to his expanding filmography. Even though Butler is doubling down on some of his more recent successful action franchises, his legendary performance as King Leonidas in300will be difficult for him to beat throughout the rest of his career. While his performance in300met the exaggerated energy of the over-the-top action epic,few actors could capture the same intensity as convincingly as Butler did, which makes it his all-time greatest performance.
New Gerard Butler Action Flick’s RT Score Means 70% Of His Movies Are Now Rotten
Gerard Butler’s film Kandahar earns the star his 30th Rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning nearly three-quarters of his films have been Rotten.
Butler Became Typecasted In The Genre But Never Replicated His Work On 300
Butler plans to reprise several roles in upcoming action movies
Following the success of300,Butler became one of the most in-demand action stars in Hollywood. Naturally, Butler’s incredibly busy schedule likely hindered his availability to appear in300: Rise of an Empire, which notably also did not have Snyder returning to direct. Butler spoke toThe Hollywood Reporterabout the 300 sequel, saying “I wasn’t really available to do 300. It was hard to work out the dates,” Butler says. “I think that’s going to be a great movie, and I love that team of people. 300 was my most special moment … it was my bar mitzvah.”
It might be for the best that Butler became more of a versatile leading man within the action genre rather than trying to recapture the iconic passion and intensity of300in his future projects. Butler also didn’t completely abandon appearing in rom-coms after 2010’sThe Bounty Hunter, starring inPlaying for Keepsalongside Jessica Biel in 2012. He also starred in the 2016 dramaA Family Man, but other than that, Butler has mainly stuck to the action genre, where he has become quite comfortable. While it would be monumental for Butler to reprise his300role at some point, some iconic films are best left in their place in history.
Why Zack Snyder Didn’t Direct 300’s Sequel, Rise Of An Empire
300: Rise of an Empire was released 8 years after the original, with one notable person missing: Zack Snyder. Here’s why he didn’t direct the sequel.
300
Cast
Loosely based on Frank Miller’s comic series of the same name, Zack Snyder’s 300 tells the legend of the historical battle of Thermopylae. It follows King Leonidas of Sparta (Gerard Butler) as he leads a small force of 300 Spartans against the amassed Persian army of 300,000. Meanwhile, his wife Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) remains in Sparta to negotiate reinforcements against political resistance.
