Horn was frank about how much he disliked the idea of making “300.” Two high-profile peplum films from 2004 — Wolfgang Petersen’s “Troy” and Oliver Stone’s “Alexander” — had both flopped, and Horn wasn’t interested in hitching his wagon to yet another sword and sandal stinker. Horn only changed his mind after he met with Zack Snyder, and the director explained how different his film was going to be. Snyder was also already eyeballing Butler for the role of Leonidas, a decision Horn hated. Butler wanted a meeting, too. He tells the story of meeting Butler thus:

“Butler had done ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ for us. I said, ‘I don’t see him for the role.’ To me, he was the Phantom. A few days later, I get a call from this Gerard Butler. He says, ‘Can I come and see ya?’ […] So he comes to see me, and he’s really physically imposing. I knew from Phantom that he smoked, and I thought I smelled it on him. So I said, ‘Okay, you can have the part on one condition: You have got to stop smoking.’ He said, ‘Are you serious?’ I said: ‘Yes. Give me your word, and it’s yours.’ And he said, ‘I give you my word.'”

Horn — perhaps affecting an old-fashioned way of thinking — still thought of movie stars as role models and wanted Butler to present a “cleaner” image for any younger people who might look up to him. Plus, if he was going to get into washboard-abs shape to play Leonidas, it was probably a good idea for Butler to give up such an unhealthy habit. For “300,” Butler was off the cigarettes.