"I'm Spartacus"... no "I'm Spartacus"... no 'I'm Spartacus".... There can only really be one Spartacus and for us it's Stanley Kubrick's epic 1960 film that starred Kirk Douglas in his defining role, alongside giants Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier. We reviewed the newly restored and particularly gorgeous Blu-ray earlier this year and our very own Rob Beames called it 'the very best of it's kind' - i.e. not just the best movie version of Spartacus but one of the best in the swords and sandal genre period. But despite how powerful and beautiful Kubrick's film really is, modern Hollywood producers think they can eclipse it's quality. Or perhaps more truthfully... think they can make money from the recognisable brand. In 2004, the USA Network produced a made-for-T.V. Spartacus movie that starred Goran Visnjic and more recently the Starz network, clearly inspired by HBO's Rome, made themselves a ridiculously filthy and bloody set of shows subtitled "Blood and Sand" and "Gods of the Arena". Neither are really worthy of your time. And now comes word from Variety that GK Films are wanting to get in on the Spartacus remake act, picking up a pitch from the writer of 300 - Michael B. Gordon - for a new adventure movie based on the revolutionist figure. Gordon's only other credit is on G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra. Is the idea for GK Films to go for a 300-styled aesthetic adaptation with lots of shirtless abs & muscles on display and overgrown men shouting loudly at one another? This we don't know, but we are told the new Spartacus will stick closely to historical fact and will focus on the years between 73 BC and 71 BC when our slave leader took his army of 300,000 gladiators and 40,000 freed slaves attempted a rebellious war against the Roman Empire, led by Marcus Licinius Crassus. Of course you know all this because you've seen the movie! So I guess before we can make judgement we need to hear a little bit more of what is planned here but honestly, we are all for a return to the swords & sandal genre but films like Immortals, Wrath Of The Titans and 300: Battle Of Artemisia on the horizon - here's hoping this one will be a lot more grounded and realistic.