WATCH: The grim, gory 300: Rise of an Empire trailer

"The lightest of breezes dances above the death cries of 300 men," says Lena Headey's Queen Gorgo in the new trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire. "That breeze became a wind. A wind, my brothers of sacrifice."

If that ridiculously florid dialogue sounds familiar to you, it's because 300: Rise of an Empire is a follow-up to 2007's surprise smash hit 300, which told the story of 300 Spartans forced to battle more than 300,000 Persian soldiers. 300: Rise of an Empire will reportedly take place before, during, and after the events of 300, which makes it a prequel, midquel, and sequel to the original film. Some actors are slated to reprise their roles from 300 — including Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo and Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes — but most of the original film's main cast, including star Gerard Butler, will not return for Rise of an Empire.

Though 300 director Zack Snyder serves as producer and co-writer for Rise of an Empire, he ceded the directorial chair to Noam Murro, who seems to have faithfully replicated the original film's distinctive aesthetic: Buckets of blood, portentous dialogue, and a seemingly endless supply of slow motion. 300 grossed over $450 million worldwide in 2007 — but do audiences still remember it fondly enough to see its story continued, without the original film's leading man, nearly six years later? We'll find out when 300: Rise of an Empire hits theaters in March 2014.

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