MANILA, Philippines - One blockbuster deserves another. That’s what Sam Worthington is aiming for as he follows up Avatar with Warner Bros.’ new action adventure epic Clash of the Titans.
Worthington plays Perseus who is pitted against the full array of Greek gods and goddesses, the earth-shattering forces at their fingertips, and all the fierce and mysterious creatures and monsters they control. In the film, Perseus is laying claim to his own destiny. But the vengeful gods will not let go of their power so easily.
Zeus, King of the Gods, (played by Liam Neeson) incurs the wrath of Perseus — his half-human son — after the god has destroyed the human family that raised him. “When Zeus kills his family, this becomes like a revenge movie,” says Worthington. “He wants to kill anyone who hurts his family, like any of us would in that situation. And he’s a bit like a boisterous teenager. Along the way, he grows up and realizes what a better kind of revenge can be.”
Worthington points out that Perseus — like the characters he played in Avatar and Terminator Salvation — is struggling to come to grips with who he is and what he ultimately wants to be in the midst of his journey. “It is that type of duality that intrigues me with this kind of character,” he says. “In movies like this, they are all taking on a bigger bully and that, to me, is a great message. We should stand up to people who want to take us down.”
Director Louis Leterrier was likewise drawn to the film’s classic theme of a reluctant hero on a quest to accomplish the impossible. “It is as though every movie I have made is about an anti-hero, a guy who doesn’t want to be a hero,” says the director. “This guy doesn’t accept his destiny and who he really is. He fights it. The gods are selfish and egotistical, using human beings as their playthings. It’s no wonder that mankind wants to revolt. It becomes a truly epic struggle, with iconic creatures, heroes and amazing actions sequences.”
Opening soon in theaters, Clash of the Titans is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.