Columbia acquires 'Anabasis' epic
Columbia will turn the story of an ancient Greek military expedition into an epic action film.
The studio has acquired a pitch for an adaptation of "Anabasis," a memoir written around 400 B.C. by Xenophon, a Greek soldier who was among 10,000 elite mercenaries who attacked the Persian Empire and who led them back through hostile terrain after their leader was betrayed and slain.
The tale inspired Walter Hill's 1979 film "The Warriors." . . .
Project marks a dramatic departure for Miller, a prolific supplier of Sony comedies like "Talladega Nights" and "Step Brothers." "Anabasis" will be the first of several period dramas he will produce with the Stamp brothers, clients of his management company who are accomplished historians, authors and documentary filmmakers. . . .
Variety, July 31