Clash of the Titans is about to come to theaters April 2 (and the 1981 version is out for download on iTunes), probably signaling a revived interest in classical Greek characters and stories. Will new-school Titans go down as a classic among the other Greek stories that have graced Hollywood? Here’s a list of some of the more recent films Hollywood has to offer in Greek-themed movies:

Disney’s Hercules

The story of Hercules has been redone and remade plenty of times, the most thought-of version being the television series that acted as a bookend to Xena: Warrior Princess, but never was the story of Hercules given such a colorful twist as when Disney molded the story to fit its “Love Conquers All” mantra. Sure, the mythology was watered down for children (who wants to see Zeus as the affair-ridden husband and Hera as the harpy they actually were? (although Disney made Hercules’ randy satyr trainer Phil fill in for Zeus’ roving eye)), and Hercules actually killed Megara later on the original story, but the Disney version is the one that makes you happy to know a little bit about Greek mythology as well as the fact that Disney can make any story happy and upbeat. And, come on, how can you hate on Disney when they made Hercules into a cute, naïve farm boy? I dare you to hate!

300

300 is based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae about the battle waged between 300 Spartans and a sea of Persians over control of the land. The graphic novel was groundbreaking, and the movie even more so, if only for the effects used to create a visual reiteration of the graphic novel’s inking and coloring style. Since its big-screen debut, the film has become one of the quotable movies of the 21^st century. Who doesn’t love screaming, “THIS…IS…SPARTA!” or “Tonight, we dine in Hell!”?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

A newcomer to the trilogy movie set, Percy Jackson, based on the book series of the same name, is about a boy who finds out that he’s related to Greek gods. The movie is poised to take over the spot Harry Potter will leave behind once the last of the movies are rolled out, and it seems like it’s fitting into its upcoming role very nicely already.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Not initially thought of as a riff on Greek literature, Brother is based on the epic The Odyssey, where hero Odysseus travels to mythical places and encounters magical women and goddesses in his quest to get home. In the film, three escaped prisoners embark on a journey to recover $1.2 million one of the prisoners stole from an armored car. The film is now a modern classic, and the soundtrack earned the film an Oscar win.

Troy

While not an esteemed movie by any stretch of the imagination, this film is probably only popular with those who like to see Brad Pitt without a shirt and pants (ditto for Gerard Butler in 300). The film is based on the Trojan War, taking material from the Homer’s Iliad and the Virgil’s Aeneid. Even if the film flopped stateside, it did receive a lot of love from the international circuit.

My Fair Lady, Weird Science, Mannequin

All of these movies vary in how classic they are in the scope of film literature, but they’ve all got the same origins in Greek literature. These stories of men falling in love with women they’ve changed/created is based on the story of Pygmalion from Ovid’s Metamorphoses X, who falls in love with a statue he carved. This story has been riffed on more than just in these three movies; this story is probably the most popular story conceit as well as the easiest to reproduce in different, modern ways.

What other movies can you think of that have been influenced by ancient Greece? While you’re leaving your comments below, don’t forget to see Clash of the Titans April 2, and download the original Clash of the Titans (including a sneak peek of the upcoming remake) from iTunes.

Information from Wikipedia:

Films list

Troy

Pygmalion

Battle of Thermopylae