Henry Cavill's career gets mythological with 'Immortals'

Having played the scheming Duke of Suffolk in the Renaissance-era soap opera "The Tudors," British import Henry Cavill is set to tackle a uniquely American icon -- Superman -- in Zack Snyder's 2013 reboot of the comic book franchise.

But before he dons the cape and tights in "Superman: Man of Steel," Cavill goes mythological as the ancient Greek hero Theseus in the epic action adventure "Immortals."

The 28-year-old is an ancient history buff who jumped at the chance to play the stonemason turned rebel warrior who embarks on a mission to avenge his mother's killing at the hands of the brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke at his absolute meanest). Theseus and his men must stop the mad monarch before he destroys humanity and takes on the gods of Mount Olympus by unleashing a regiment of demigods known as the Titans.

Lots of blood

Plenty of blood and gore are in store in this 3-D fight-fest. The film is produced by the same team that brought the similarly ancient-themed "300" to the big screen in 2006. Visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh ("The Cell," "The Fall"), who simply goes by Tarsem, directs from a script by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides.

Cavill says he has long admired Tarsem's work in film and music videos and relished the opportunity to work with him.

"Tarsem had a very exact vision for the job; a lot of passion about it," he says. "When it came to meetinghim, I was sort of picked up by all his excitement about the project. There was no saying 'no' to that."


Cavill grew up on Jersey in Britain's Channel Islands. He had planned to go to college to study ancient history, specifically Egyptology, before turning his sights to acting. Earlier this year, he visited Istanbul to learn more about the ancient world.

"I found out that the Bosphorus (the strait that separates Europe from Asia) was cut by Zeus," he says of the legend.

"I've always been interested in mythology and history in general," he continues. "When it comes to mythology, it's even better because it is a made-up story in the interpreter's tale, but when you hear that kind of thing, you are delving into someone else's imagination."

Cavill's previous knowledge of the myths and legends that inspired the film played only a small part in creating his character.

"You can draw some parallels to the popular mythology of Theseus," the actor says. "But this certainly is not the traditional story. This is a battle of men versus men. There are gods and then there are Titans, but they do not take a direct hand in (human) affairs."

Working the abs

To get into top form, the already strapping Cavill began training six months before production (while he was still filming "The Tudors.")

"I was getting up at 4 in the morning, working for two hours on basic martial arts, and then going to work," he says.

It was a very specific body type he was trying to create -- not of a bodybuilder, but more of a swimmer's body. He kept up the regimen throughout shooting.

"I told him it couldn't be a six-pack," recalls Tarsem. "You've got to come home with an eight-pack. There has to be no body fat because I don't have too many clothes for you to wear."

With the action set in Tarsem's colorful Caravaggio-inspired world of ancient Greece, filming took place on meticulously decorated soundstages and incorporated hundreds of visual effects.

"Tarsem did this wonderful thing of building many, many (miniature) sets of everything and then creating a visual storyboard," Cavill recalls. "He had everyone come into a room and showed us where we start, this is what it looks like, and talked us through the entire movie for about two hours."

Playing a commoner turned rebel leader, Cavill says the fight sequences were all very challenging, but a climactic mano-a-mano brawl with Rourke was particularly intense.

"The fight is brutal and messy," says Cavill, who squared off with "The Wrestler" star. "These are two exhausted, desperate men who want to tear each other's throats out. There's some jujitsu, some Greco-Roman grappling, but mostly it's two guys kicking the crap out of each other."

'IMMORTALS'

Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Isabel Lucas, Kellen Lutz
Rating: R (violence, nudity)
Director: Tarsem Singh
Running time: 110 minutes. Rated R for violence, nudity.
Opens: Friday Bay Area wide

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