Often cited as one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation,Michael Mannis a storyteller of nearly unrivaled ambition. While Mann’s early career was defined by his groundbreaking work within the crime genre, including theJames Caancrime classicThief, the later half of his career saw Mann working on many large-scale historical epics. Between the historical adventure dramaThe Last of the Mohicans, the espionage thrillerThe Insider, and the acclaimed sportsbiopicAli, Mann showed an unparalleled ability to capture specific eras in history. AlthoughMann nearly worked on a sword-and-sandals epic withGeorge Clooney, their presumptive projectGates of Fireunfortunately never saw the light of day.
What Was ‘Gates of Fire’ About?
Gates of Firewas a 1998 historical fiction novel by authorSteven Pressfieldthat recounted theBattle of Thermopylaebetween the Persian dictator Xerxes I’s Achaemenid Empire and an alliance of Greek city-states. Waged in 480 B.C., the Battle of Thermopylae saw the Persians earning a decisive victory after the death of the charismatic Spartan military leader Leonidas I. Although the conflict struck a crushing blow to the Greek alliance’s campaign to defend their territory, it was noted for the significant quantitative difference between the two armies;the Persian Empire outnumbered the Greeks, and left only three survivors from the defending force. Fact is sometimes more compelling than fiction, and this infamous historical event had the makings of agreat sword-and-sandals epic.
Beyond its quality as a work of literature,Gates of Firewas unique because it was told from the perspective of the Greek warrior Xeones,a free non-citizen who fought for the Spartan Army. Although Xeones was a fictional character created specifically forGates of Fire, he is described as being one of the only survivors of the conflict. Using Xeones’ perspective allowedGates of Fireto be told in flashback by an older version of the character who was recounting his experiences to a younger generation. Additionally, the attention-to-detail that Pressfield incorporated within his accounts of the major battles provided specific information about the competing strategies, offering any filmmaker interested in an adaptation a plethora of sources to draw from. Between the unique perspective and unbelievable true story,Gates of Firehad the potential to be one of thegreatest war films of all-time.
Christopher Abbott’s Best Performance Is With George Clooney in This Dark Satire
It’s all in the way he handles an unfortunate injury.
AsGates of Firedrew acclaim from both historical pundits and avid readers alike,George Clooney’s production companyMaysville Pictures acquired the rights to a potential adaptation.The production company had produced several groundbreaking crime films, includingChristopher Nolan’s remake ofInsomnia, Clooney’s directorial debutConfessions of a Dangerous Mind, andSteven Soderbergh’sOcean’strilogy. However, an epic on the scale ofGates of Fire, which would require a significant budget, would have easily been the most ambitious project in the production company’s history.Clooney cited the popularity ofGladiatoras an indication that audiences were interested in more historical war epics covering early history.
Why Didn’t ‘Gates of Fire’ Happen?
In order to ensure that the film was in the hands of a master storyteller, Mann was brought on to direct a screenplay by screenwriterDavid Self. Self had written such historical dramas asThirteen DaysandRoad to Perdition, showing that he could draw from influential sources to create compelling narratives. Although the film was gearing into production with Clooney expected to star as Leonidas,Mann left the project due to “creative differences.”While there was a possibility that another filmmaker could step in to replace him, finding a filmmaker as enthusiastic about the material as Mann proved to be a challenging task.Gates of Firelanguished in development hell, andbecame one of thegreatest films never made.
Beyond Mann’s decision to leave the production,the cancellation ofGates of Firecan be attributed to a decline in audience interest in historical epics. AlthoughGladiatorwas a massive box office success and won the Academy Award for Best Picture, it proved to be an anomaly within the sword-and-sandals genre. The successive failures ofWolfgang Petersen’sThe IliadadaptationTroy,Oliver Stone’s historical biopicAlexander, andAntoine Fuqua’s version of theKing Arthurstory suggested that the genre no longer had the draw that it once had. In order to avoid the issues that had plagued these productions,Gates of Firewas canceled entirely.
‘300’ Got to the Battle of Thermopylae First
Any hope for the project’s revitalization was lost following the release ofZack Snyder’s historical action film300in 2006. Although itwas based on a 1998 graphic novel of the same name byFrank Miller,300told the same story about the Battle of Thermopylae asGates of Firedid. The two projects were distinct on a creative level;Gates of Fireepitomized historical authenticity with its gritty approach, whereas300utilized the hyper-stylized slow motion action that Snyder was known for. However, concern over havingtwo films with an identical premisereleased in proximity to each other would have made it harder forGates of Fireto distinguish itself.
Losing out on the opportunity to makeGates of Firewasn’t the only hardship that Mann suffered, asheentered a period of critical decline after a series of his films underperformed. While the 2006 adaptation of his television seriesMiami Vice, his 2009John DillingerbiopicPublic Enemies, and his hacking thrillerBlackhathave been praised as being ahead of their time, their short-term failure made it difficult for Mannto acquire funding for his projects. Mann channeled his attentiontowards working on his passion projectFerrari.
Although he may have regretted not starring in what surely would have been a modern historical classic,Clooney’s career rebounded when he stepped into the director’s chair.Following the termination ofGates of Fire, Clooney helmed his second feature, the journalism dramaGood Night, and Good Luck. The film earned several Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director), signifying that Clooney had become a great auteur filmmaker in his own right. WhileClooney’s films as a directorhave covered many critical historical events, he’s yet to launch a project on the scale ofGates of Fire.
King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
300is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
