With Director Zach Snyder Occupied in Metropolis, Will 'Xerxes' Go to Guy Ritchie?

It seems like Warner Brothers is learning the harsh lesson of sticking by a filmmaker because of one huge success. Three years ago, Zach Snyder was on top of the world - he had an unexpectedly huge hit in 2007 with "300," and was hard at work on the long-in-development adaptation of "Watchmen," considered by many to be the greatest comic book ever. Since then, "Watchmen" underperformed and was not well received critically, and even his animated children's film, "The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" did not meet expectations.

He's been given a lifeline, and is directing the forthcoming Superman adaptation, but with his latest film, "Sucker Punch," getting hammered at a recent test screening and "The Man of Steel" needing major script work, Vulture is reporting that Warner Brothers is clearing Snyder's plate for him so that he is solely focused on their biggest property.

So something had to give, and that something ends up being "Xerxes," Snyder's long-in-development adaptation of his own, this time a sequel to "300." Frank Miller, who wrote and drew the "300" graphic novel upon which the film was based, is reportedly at work on his own "Xerxes" comic book series, and while it's unknown the extent to which the two will overlap, it's hard to imagine Miller didn't have some input into Snyder's screenplay.

Whatever the case, the offer is out to "Sherlock Holmes" director Guy Ritchie. If he wants "Xerxes," it's his to have. After spending years in director purgatory, making new films without making an impact commercially or critically, Ritchie is back on top after "Sherlock Holmes" proved a surprising winter success even while up against "Avatar."

He's currently at work on the sequel, which E! Online reports is now titled "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."

As Ritchie's fast-cutting, speed-ramping style is so similar to Snyder's, it's not hard to see why the offer went out to him, but one wonders if Ritchie's rise with the studio is too similar to Snyder's, and will see a similar fall.