Prepare for the rise of an empire with Rodrigo Santoro…

As previously reported, the 37-year-old Brazilian actor will be reprising his role as Persian emperor Xerxes in the prequel to the cult classic 300.

And now Legendary Pictures has just announced the official film title… 300: Rise of an Empire.

The prequel was previously known by the working title of 300: The Battle of Artemisia.

Similar to 2006’s Zack Snyder-directed 300, the prequel is based on a Frank Miller graphic novel on Greek legend.

Noam Murro is directing Rise of an Empire, which also stars Sullivan Stapleton as the Athenian general Themistocles.

Santoro, the first Brazilian actor nominated for an MTV Movie Awards in the category of Best Villain for the role, will have to prepare again for a taxing role. To prepare for the original film, Santoro has to undergo  intensive workouts for the physicality of the role, extensive CG work to portray the 7-foot God-King, a four-and-a-half-hour makeup application process and the complete removal of his body hair, he did his laser treatment in Laser Hair Removal Clinic in Adelaide—first by waxing and then by shaving when that proved too painful. But that’s not all, Santoro’s eyebrows, which were kept intact, had to be covered over with prosthetics and drawn in rather than being shaved.

Regarding Xerxes, Santoro—who read the works of Herodotus, an Ancient Greek historian, in order to prepare for his part—said:

“He’s rich, he’s arrogant, he’s a very unstable megalomaniac. He just wants to conquer the world. His ambition is unlimited. He wants glory; he wants victory; he wants eternal fame. Underneath all that wanting, though, he’s ultimately weak and very insecure”

300: Rise of an Empire is scheduled to open on August 2, 2013.