‘300: Rise of an Empire’ dominated the international market last weekend, topping the post-Oscars box office in both the U.K and U.S. And without any blockbuster competition this weekend, the Greek fantasy epic could be set to dominate once more.

300 Rise of an EmpireEva Green in '300: Rise of an Empire'

Starring Eva Green and Sullivan Stapleton, ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ stormed to success with £2.7m and $45m in the U.K and U.S respectively, despite garnering a lukewarm response from the critics.

The film acts as a prequel and a sequel to '300', while some of the action takes place concurrently to the chronology of the first film. The money was mainly spent on the special effects; even the people behind the film would likely admit that plot and character development are lacking, but those interested in seeing a full-bloodied fight scene with expert CGI graphics should look no further than the ‘300’ franchise. And we expect many more action-hungry punters to flock to the cinemas to get some this weekend.

There are notable films released this Friday (March 14) to stand in its way, though, with Scarlett Johansson’s Under The Skin and Christoph Waltz’s Zero Theorem both set to be unleashed. The latter sees Waltz finally take the leading role having supported so wonderfully in two Quentin Tarantino projects: Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained.

Watch the trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire

In what looks like a truly original sci-fi thriller, Waltz plays a hacker trying to discover the reason for human existence. The latter is similarly intriguing. Johansson plays an alien siren intent on luring men and sending them back to her home planet where human meat is considered a delicacy.

The film has acquired extra heat due to the promise of a nude scene from Johansson, the apple of many a celebrity admirer’s eye. Also: it’s been reviewed really well. Both, however, will probably be left in 300’s wake as the lure of blockbuster action invites popcorn-guzzling cinemagoers.