Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Clash of the Titans | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Louis Leterrier |
Screenplay by | |
Based on | Clash of the Titans by Beverley Cross |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Peter Menzies Jr. |
Edited by | |
Music by | Ramin Djawadi |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
Countries | United States United Kingdom Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | $125 million[1] |
Box office | $493.2 million[1] |
Clash of the Titans is a 2010
Clash of the Titans grossed $493 million worldwide, though it received generally negative reviews from critics and received two Golden Raspberry Awards nominations. The film's success led to a sequel, Wrath of the Titans, released in March 2012.
Plot
During the
Zeus later created the mortal
. Upon discovering this, an enraged Acrisius locks the queen and her newborn child in a chest and throws them into the sea. Zeus retaliates by striking the king with a lightning bolt, which severely deforms him. Perseus and the now-dead Danae are found by the fisherman Spyros, who raises the baby with his wife Marmara.18 years later, Perseus and his family watch as soldiers from the city of Argos destroy the statue of Zeus, declaring war on the gods. The soldiers are slaughtered by the Furies, who are controlled by Hades. Hades then destroys the family's fishing vessel; Spyros and his family drown, with Perseus as the only survivor.
Found by another group of soldiers, Perseus is brought before King
Perseus, Io, and the King's Guard led by Draco journey to the Stygian Witches, seeking a way to defeat the Kraken. To help his son, Zeus tries to give Perseus a sword forged on Olympus, which he refuses. Soon after, they are attacked by the corrupted Acrisius, now known as Calibos, who is working for Hades. During the fight, Draco severs Calibos' hand, forcing him to retreat to a desert where the blood from his injury conjures giant scorpions which attack the group. They are rescued by a band of Djinn, desert sorcerers who tame the remaining scorpions and lend their aid to Perseus and his group.
They arrive at the lair of the Stygian Witches, who are forced to reveal a weapon to defeat the Kraken: the head of the
The winged horse Pegasus arrives and takes Perseus back to Argos while Hades, having manipulated Zeus and the gods into earning their trust, releases the Kraken. Prokopion, a fanatical worshipper of Hades, and his followers take Andromeda to be sacrificed. Perseus arrives in time and exposes Medusa's head to the Kraken, which gradually petrifies and crumbles. Prokopion attempts to kill Perseus, but Kepheus intervenes, and both of them are then crushed by the Kraken's falling claw. Hades confronts Perseus, but the latter, invoking Zeus, hurls his sword at Hades, forcing him back to the Underworld. Perseus rescues Andromeda, who asks him to rule Argos by her side as king, but he declines. Later Zeus appears before Perseus and offers to bring him to Olympus which he also refuses. Zeus, while disgruntled, accepts Perseus' choice and revives Io allowing them to be together.
Cast
- Danae.
- Otto Farrant as young Perseus
- Liam Neeson as Zeus
King of the gods, as well as the god of the sky, lightning and thunder. He created man but has become disappointed with their lack of respect. - Ralph Fiennes as Hades
God of the underworld and the dead, and Zeus' brother. Hades resents Zeus for appointing him as lord of the underworld and plots to destroy him. - Gemma Arterton as Io
A mortal woman who had refused the advances of a god and was cursed with agelessness. She has watched over Perseus and acts as his guide. - Alexa Davalos as Andromeda
A princess of Argos who is to be sacrificed to the Kraken after her mother foolishly boasts about Andromeda's beauty. - Jason Flemyng as King Acrisius/Calibos
A mortal king who led a revolt against the gods. As punishment, Zeus impregnated Acrisius' wife, Queen Danae, and turned Acrisius into the deformed creature Calibos. Acrisius' transformation into Calibos is not based on mythological sources and was inspired by the character from the original film. - Mads Mikkelsen as Draco, captain of the royal guard of Argos who accompanies Perseus.
- Gorgonwhose head Perseus seeks as a weapon to defeat the Kraken.
- Liam Cunningham as Solon, an experienced soldier from Argos who accompanies Perseus.
- Hans Matheson as Ixas, a soldier from Argos who accompanies Perseus.
- Nicholas Hoult as Eusebios, a young and devout soldier from Argos who accompanies Perseus.
- Ashraf Barhom as Ozal, a hunter who joins Perseus' journey, brother to Kucuk.
- Mouloud Achour as Kucuk, Ozal's brother and a hunter who joins Perseus' journey.
- Djinnhumanoid sorcerers who live in the desert and use black magic to extend their lifespan. The Djinn do not appear in classical mythology, as they are from Arabic myths.
- Luke Treadaway as Prokopion, a doomsday prophet who urges the Argives to worship the gods.
- Ross Mullan, Robin Berry and Graham Hughes as the three Stygian Witches
- Pete Postlethwaite and Elizabeth McGovern as Spyro and Marmara, who find the infant Perseus and become his adoptive parents.
- Vincent Regan and Polly Walker as King Kepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, Andromeda's parents and the arrogant rulers of Argos.
- Rory McCann and Martin McCann as Belo and Phaedrus, two soldiers from Argos who initially accompany Perseus on his journey.
- Kaya Scodelario as Peshet, handmaiden to Princess Andromeda
Production
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Teide_2011.jpg/250px-Teide_2011.jpg)
The Clash of the Titans remake project started in 2002 under producer Adam Schroeder and writers John Glenn and Travis Wright. They wanted to drop the "cheesy chessboard manipulation of characters" by the gods.[8] Wright and Glenn described their story as "an adventure film with religious elements".[9] Producer Basil Iwanyk revived the project in 2006 with a rewrite by Travis Beacham, a fan of the original, who intended the script to be "darker and more realistic".[10] Lawrence Kasdan and director Stephen Norrington signed on in 2007. Kasdan gave the script another rewrite from the Beacham version.[11] But Norrington was unsure about his direction for the project because he did not grow up with the original. Leterrier, who did, contacted Norrington through their shared agent about replacing him.[12] By June 2008 Leterrier joined the project and Warner Bros. greenlit the film.[13] Leterrier noted the original Clash of the Titans inspired the climax of his previous film The Incredible Hulk – a battle in a burnt-down courtroom with temple-like columns – and has compared modern superheroes to Greek mythology.[14][15]
Writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi took over the script during July 2008 and used Beacham's draft as a starting point. They focused on the mythology and telling the story through Leterrier's eyes. Hay and Manfredi had to rewrite the script in less than a year using a very active process.[16] Leterrier sought Ray Harryhausen's involvement,[12] and reunited with Hulk concept artist Aaron Sims, who had already been working on Clash of the Titans with Norrington.[17]
Louis Leterrier, during an interview, revealed that he is a big fan of
Sam Worthington did not wear sandals while filming; he instead painted toes on his sports shoes so he could perform the stunts better.[19]
According to actress Emma Thompson, she almost made an accidental uncredited cameo in the film while visiting her friend Liam Neeson on the set. Thompson, who had been filming Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in an adjacent studio, went to visit Neeson during a break, just as Neeson was about to shoot a scene with Ralph Fiennes and Danny Huston. Unable to exit the set fast enough as the cameras began to roll, Thompson, in her clumsy Nanny McPhee costume, had to hide behind Huston's throne during the take so she would not be picked up by the cameras.[20]
For the 2D to 3D conversion, Leterrier approached the studio early on about a 3D conversion, but it was expensive and very new technology.[21] After Avatar, the studio put pressure on Leterrier to convert the film. He was worried because of his previous concerns but was convinced after seeing the View-D conversion process.[22] Leterrier considered the 3D conversion to improve the viewing experience, and states that it should not be seen as a gimmick.[21] In 2013, however, Leterrier called the 3D conversion "famously rushed and famously horrible" and "a gimmick to steal money from the audience".[23]
Filming locations
Filming began April 27, 2009, near London, at Shepperton Studios, and also at Pinewood Studios and at Longcross Studios, near Chertsey, in Surrey.[24] Filming also took place in Wales, the Canary Islands (Spain) (primarily at the World Heritage Site, Teide National Park in Tenerife), Maspalomas Dunes, Gran Canaria, and Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote. Aerial photography was conducted in Iceland and Ethiopia.[25]
Filming of volcano scenes at the Harriet hole in
Homage
Bubo, Athena's mechanical owl in the original 1981 film, makes a cameo appearance in this remake and its sequel.
Soundtrack
Release
Clash of the Titans was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010.[3][4] The Heat Vision Blog reported on January 27, 2010, that after a 3D conversion test of the film, which Warner Bros. found to be a "roaring success", the film would be converted to 3D and would premiere on April 2, 2010. The national premiere in Spain took place on March 30 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital city of the Canary Islands.[5][6][28]
Critical reception
In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, stating "I don't say it's good cinema, although I recognize the craftsmanship that went into it. I don't say it's good acting, when the men have so much facial hair they all look like Liam Neeson. I like the energy, the imagination, the silliness."[33] Richard Corliss of Time could understand why the film received negative reviews, but found it "a full-throttle action-adventure, played unapologetically straight." He dismissed other critics' complaints, writing that the film is "very watchable in 2-D," that other critics were influenced by nostalgia for the original, and that 15 seconds of Bubo is enough for his tastes.[34] Colin Covert gave the film a mildly positive review, stating the film was "all flash, trash, and crash," "a tasty hunk of baloney," and "mindless yet shamelessly thrilling." He said Worthington had a "Shatneresque heaviness about him," and found that all the laughs came from the fact that the heavyweight actors were "slumming through their roles."[35] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B−, writing "The new Clash isn't a cynical rehash. It has the flavor of a certain pre-CGI innocence."[36] James Berardinelli gave it a mixed review, concluding that "Clash of the Titans is a flawed but mildly entertaining regurgitation of Greek mythological elements, but it's also an example of how poorly executed 3D can hamstring a would-be spectacle."[37]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone awarded the film one star out of four, stating "The film is a sham, with good actors going for the paycheck and using beards and heavy makeup to hide their shame."[38] In a review for the Chicago Tribune, Turan complained that the film is worse in 3D; he went on further to explain that the action scenes are "more of a distraction than an enhancement", with the battle scenes being cluttered and "harder to follow rather than exciting".[39] Claudia Puig for USA Today wrote that the film's "most outstanding achievement is the ability to be both chaotic and dull". Justification for her opinion came from the frantic action sequences and muddled special effects.[40] Dan Kois blamed the director for making a "muddled disappointment" instead of a "camp classic that could have endured for generations." He also accused Leterrier of not knowing how to direct an action scene, and that the film lacked "wit and flair."[41] David Stratton also criticized the film's action scenes, suggesting to Leterrier: "check out your local video store for something by Kurosawa, or almost any movie with sword fight scenes, to see how it's done."[42]
Accolades
At the
Box office
Clash of the Titans earned $61,235,105 in its opening weekend in 3,777 theaters in the United States and Canada (not including Thursday previews).[1] The movie was #1 for two weeks in a row, edging out Date Night and the previous winner, How to Train Your Dragon.[52] Clash of the Titans made $163,214,888 domestically, as of July 22, 2010, and $330,000,000 overseas, as of September 19, 2010, for a worldwide total of $493,214,888. On the all-time worldwide chart it ranks 80th and in North America it is below #100.[53]
Home media
Clash of the Titans was released on DVD and Blu-ray combo pack on July 16 (Mexico), July 26 (UK), July 27 (USA) and (Canada), October 6 (Japan), 2010. A 3D Blu-ray version of the film was also released in a combo pack with the 2D version, DVD, and digital copy.[54]
Video game
Namco Bandai Games and
Sequel
Production of the sequel, Wrath of the Titans, directed by Jonathan Liebesman, began on March 23, 2011. Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson reprised their roles and the film was released on March 30, 2012.[55]
In November 2011, Warner Bros. hired
Cultural legacy
The phrase "Release the Kraken!", said by Liam Neeson's character Zeus in film trailers, became an Internet meme.[57] Time listed it as one of the top 10 buzzwords of the year.[58] Among supporters of
References
- ^ IMDb. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ "Clash of the Titans Commences Production for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures". Business Wire. April 25, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Medusa's Head Hiding Within Perseus' Sack? Three Blind Witches!". Bloody-disgusting.com. October 2, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b c "New Clash of the Titans Remake Stills". Dreadcentral.com. October 2, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b "3-Deathly : Titans and Potter go to third dimension". Heat Vision Blog. January 27, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
- ^ a b "Clash of the Titans Official site: Film poster". Clash-of-the-Titans.WarnerBros.com. February 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ El Teide, el parque más visitado de Europa y el segundo del mundo Archived September 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 9780199542925.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (June 3, 2002). "Col sends J. Lo to Shrink". Variety. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (April 30, 2006). "Scribe goes to head of Clash at Warners". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (December 13, 2007). "Norrington to direct Titans". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ a b "Leterrier parle de son Choc des Titans". EcranLarge.com. July 12, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (June 26, 2008). "Gods goes to war with Titans". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- ^ "News Etc". Empire. April 2008. pp. 15–16.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi Prepare Us for Clash of the Titans". movie Web. April 1, 2010. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "Interview: 'Clash of the Titans' Character Designer Aaron Sims". Bloody Disgusting. March 31, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
- ^ "Saint Seiya's Kurumada Draws Clash of the Titans Poster". Anime News Network. August 19, 2023.
- ^ Wayland, Sara (March 27, 2010). "Sam Worthington Interview CLASH OF THE TITANS". Collider. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "EMMA THOMPSON's Nanny McPhee Cameo in Clash of the Titans?! The Graham Norton Show on BBC AMERICA". YouTube. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ^ a b Wayland, Sara (March 28, 2010). "Director Louis Leterrier Interview CLASH OF THE TITANS". Collider. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ Snyder, Steven James (March 31, 2010). "Titans Director: 'Clash' Trilogy Already Written, Dying To Tackle Avengers". Techland. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ Fischer, Russ (May 28, 2013). "'Clash Of The Titans' Director Louis Leterrier Slags The Film's Post-Converted 3D". /Film.
- ^ "Filming Location Matching "Longcross Studios, Chobham Lane, Longcross, Surrey, England, UK" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb.
- ^ "Clash of the Titans Commences Production for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures". Business Wire. April 25, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ "Filming Clash of the Titans at Dinorwic – July 2009". Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Barton, Steve (July 10, 2012). "San Diego Comic-Con 2012: The Iron Sky Babe Army Awaits!". Dread Central.
- ^ Estatuto de Autonomía de Canarias en la Página Web Oficial del Gobierno de Canarias Archived January 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Clash of the Titans (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Flint, Joe (April 5, 2010). "Box office: 'Clash of the Titans' leads the class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- Guardian News and Media. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (March 31, 2010). "Clash of the Titans". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (April 2, 2010). "Clash of the Titans: A Hit from a Myth". Time. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ Covert, Colin (April 2, 2010). "Review: "Clash of the Titans" is action-packed fun". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Movie Review: Clash of the Titans". Entertainment Weekly. April 1, 2010.
- ^ Berardinelli, James. "Clash of the Titans". Reelviews.net. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ Travers, Peter. "Clash of the Titans review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth (April 2, 2010). "Movie Review: "Clash of the Titans": 3D Makes the Film More Difficult to Follow in Places, and So It Crashes to Earth". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 13, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Puig, Claudia (April 2, 2010). "'Clash of the Titans'? The gods must be crazy". USA Today. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ Koi, Dan (April 2, 2010). "A hero's quest? No, a fool's errand". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ Stratton, David (April 1, 2010). "'Clash of the Titans'". At the Movies. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2010: Winners and Nominees". The Morning Call. July 11, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Stransky, Tanner (August 9, 2010). "2010 Teen Choice Awards winners announced". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (December 6, 2010). "2010 Annie Awards Noms For Animation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (February 5, 2011). "38th Annual Annie Animation Awards: DWA's How To Train Your Dragon Wins (After Disney Boycotts)". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (December 22, 2010). "Alliance of Women Film Journalists Nominees". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (January 10, 2011). "Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards Favor Kids Are All Right, Social Network". IndieWire. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Enk, Bryan (February 26, 2011). "The Last Airbender Wins (Fails) Big At Razzie Awards". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon (June 24, 2011). "Saturn Awards 2011 - Movie Winners in full". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "Angelo Badalamenti, Alf Clausen Honored at ASCAP Film & TV Music Awards". Billboard. June 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Weekend Report: "Titans" Fall But Still Tall, Box Office Mojo, April 12, 2010
- Amazon.com. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Clash of the Titans 3D Blu-ray (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD)".
- CraveOnline. March 23, 2011. Archived from the originalon August 2, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ Kit, Borys (November 2, 2011). "Warner Bros. Readying 'Clash of the Titans 3' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ Pardee, Grant (April 2, 2017). "How 'Release the Kraken' joined the pantheon of all-time great memes". The Daily Dot.
- ^ Silver, Alexandra (December 9, 2010). "The Top 10 Everything of 2010 – Top 10 Buzzwords – 8. Release the Kraken!". Time.
- Seattle Times.