This is Sparta! It’s one of the most iconic lines in cinema since Zack Snyder’s bloody historical action flick was released back in 2007. It’s a line that is most certainly shouted at Gerard Butler every other day, but when he finds himself actually in Sparta underneath the statue of the king he portrayed in 300, of course he had to say it!
When Gerard Butler was in the Ancient Greek city on Friday morning to celebrate the coming Olympic Games, the 50-year-old actor went full on 300 during a speech. Take a look below:
He’s still got it! The How To Train Your Dragon actor gave an empowering speech to celebrate a week-long Olympic torch relay that started in Ancient Olympia on Thursday. Gerard Butler was invited to carry the torch from Mystras, Greece to Sparta. The torch will continue its journey across the country through to March 19. It will end its journey in Athens on that date.
In the speech shared on Twitter, Gerard Butler talked about the legacy Spartans have left for generations to come. He talked about how people look up to them as symbols of heroism and how he’s especially been “profoundly” changed by their courage and history. He described Sparta as “holy ground” before yelling out the famous 300 line.
The 2007 movie was a massive moment in Gerard Butler’s career and still his most recognizable role in cinema. The actor was honored to join the Greek people for the 2500th anniversary of 480 BC’s Battle of Thermopylae, which is the specific event 300 is based upon. The battle in Greece during the Persian Wars had King Leonidas leading a small group of 300 men against a gigantic army of over 300,000 soldiers; a suicide mission, really.
The Scottish actor was also joined by Titanic actor Billy Zane, who has Greek heritage. The torch relay is tradition before it is handed off to the organizers in charge of that year’s Olympic Games. This year the international games are expected to take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9.
Due to coronavirus concerns, this year’s games could potentially face cancellation. The International Olympic Committee has said that it'd like the worldwide event to still happen, even if it's held without spectators. The committee has asked the athletes to continue to train for their sports ahead of the summer games.
Gerard Butler recently reprised his role of Mike Banning in Angel Has Fallen which was another success for Lionsgate when it was released last summer. The studio has announced that it is planning to make at least three new movies starring Butler’s Secret Service agent.
Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more movie news on Gerard Butler’s latest projects.
