The men of "300" fight to the death

Joining lead actor Gerard Butler as King Leonidas in Warner Bros.' hotly anticipated action-adventure "300" are four exciting actors who play pivotal roles: Brazilian superstar Rodrigo Santoro, "Lord of the Rings" hero David Wenham, British thespian Dominic West and rising star Michael Fassbender.

Based on the popular epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, "300" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's ("Sin City") acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

Santoro plays Xerxes who has brought the ancient world to its knees mostly through sheer audacity. "He's rich, he's arrogant, he's a very unstable megalomaniac," says the actor on the self-proclaimed God-King. "He just wants to conquer the world. His ambition is unlimited. He wants glory; he wants victory; he wants eternal fame. Underneath all that wanting, though, he's ultimately weak and very insecure."

A towering, enigmatic figure covered with exotic jewels, Xerxes is carried on a golden throne by crouching slaves. "He has a voice that is smooth and seductive and everything that a God-King should be," says director Zach Snyder. "You see that people would follow him… that he would seduce as well as conquer."

Dilios, a Spartan warrior and storyteller in the graphic novel, is played by David Wenham. The character of Dilios solved for Snyder the puzzle of how to bring Miller's unique voice as a storyteller into the film. "We hit on the idea of having a narrator tell the story, which allows Frank's fantastic world to come to life," Snyder offers. "That was really important when it came to weaving Dilios's story through the movie-how awesome it is to have this storyteller that can render Frank's prose in the picture."

"I love telling stories, so to have the opportunity to be a storyteller is a gift," comments Wenham. "Dilios spends a lot of time entertaining the troops when there's down time, telling stories about the first Olympics or other tales. He is also probably one of Leonidas's best friends, and a great warrior who is highly respected among the men."

Another soldier, Stelios, played by Michael Fassbender, represents the enthusiasm of the young Spartan warriors. "Stelios is very spontaneous and very passionate," says Fassbender. "He sees this as his chance to prove himself on the battlefield and die the glorious death that he craves in order to fulfill his destiny as a Spartan warrior."

But the politicians of Sparta do not want to fight Xerxes. Theron, played by Dominic West, represents a new kind of Spartan, more interested in negotiating for power than fighting for freedom. "Theron is not an honest politician by any means, and his duality first manifests itself in his being a treacherous appeaser of the Persians," says West. "He's the politician, not the warrior. It's always good to play a villain; they usually get the best lines," the actor smiles.

Opening soon across the Philippines, "300" is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Entertainment Company.