According to Deadline, the new title of the film will be "300: Battle of Artemisia," and Zack Snyder will definitely not direct the project, which will be based on a new comic by Miller. A prequel/spinoff from "300" rather than a sequel, "Battle of Artemisia" follows the ascension of Persian king Xerxes to the god-like status he achieved before the events in "300."

The report also indicates that the studio is deciding between two directors for the film: Noam Murro and Jaume Collet-Serra.

Murro's primary directing credit is the 2008 indie film "Smart People," though he's also attached to direct the next installment of the "Die Hard" movie franchise. Collet-Serra directed the horror tale "Orphan" and is expected to direct the upcoming vampire film "Harker."

As for the film's source material, "Xerxes" is currently being released in chapter form in Dark Horse Comics' "Dark Horse Presents" anthology. We brought you a preview of the comic back in January, along with an interview with Dark Horse president Mike Richardson.

Keep it locked to MTV splash Page for more "Xerxes" and "300: Battle of Artemisia" news as it develops.

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