It's not a total surprise, since there are probably draconian contracts in place to ensure the return of everyone necessary. But a gift though small is precious, as Homer put it, and Liam Neeson has just confirmed that Zeus will be back for **Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to this year's Clash of the same.
Other than the presumed fact that there will be titans* and they will be wrathful, we don't yet know much about the direction Jonathan Liebesman's new instalment will take. Neither, it seems, is Neeson very sure, since the screenplay is, shall we say, in a state of some flux.
"They're on script ten," he explained to the Belfast Telegraph. "I've only read half of it and there is still work being done." But, he promises, "I think it's going to be some kick-ass stuff with a very human story to it." And we're interested by his referring to the film as a "revamping", suggesting that everyone involved is well aware that, in spite of the olympian box-office haul, Louis Leterrier's first attempt had one or two shortcomings.
Did somebody mention 3D? Neeson doesn't know about that, but does confirm that shooting starts in March next year. Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton and Ralph Fiennes are aready re-attached, with talk of James Franco and Javier Bardem joining up as, respectively, Poseidon's son Agenor, and Ares, the god of war.
Wrath of the Titans doesn't have a nailed-on release date yet, but all expectations are currently on Spring 2012.
*We guess. Strictly, from a Greek mythology-geek point of view, there weren't any in the last one.