Cast Highlights: Liam Neeson Ralph Fiennes Sam Worthington Mads Mikkelsen Alexa Davalos Danny Huston Hans Matheson

Character: Io
Production Status: On DVD & Blu-ray
Release Date: April 2, 2010 (USA & UK)
Director: Louis Leterrier
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (adapted script)
Genre: Action | Drama | Fantasy
MPAA Rating: n/a

Plot Outline:
A remake of the 1981 film version of the myth of Perseus.

In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny. He will be assisted in his journey by Io (Gemma Arterton), his mysterious spiritual guide.

Gemma’s Role:
Gemma Arterton plays Io. “I’m playing a demi-goddess named Io. It’s going to be a huge ensemble piece with loads of characters. The original was one of my favourites when I was a kid. The script is quite different from the previous film, though.” Her character protects Perseus and assists him on his many quests: “She’s like the guardian angel and she’s really great, a really brilliant woman, even though she’s a goddess.” At the 2009 Jameson Empire Awards, the Kent-born actress shared more hot tidbits about her character and the film: “My part is… the coolest part,” she laughed. “Io’s not in the original film. Perseus falls in love with her and then [CENSORED FOR TINY SPOILER]. It’s a really great part.” According to Arterton, though, Io’s presence isn’t the only thing about the movie, which is, of course, a reimagining of the 1981 ‘classic’. “The script is very different,” she continued. “Obviously the story is the story, but it’s much more about Perseus’ mission, and how he deals with being the son of Zeus, and things like that, so it feels a little more about him, and about the issues around that.” “Io has her own agenda, she’s like a cursed, lost soul.”

Like many in the cast and crew, Arterton was a fan of the original film.

“I watched it about 50 times as a kid, so when I learned I had a role in the new version, I was over the moon,” she relates. “I pretended that I wasn’t fazed by it, but I quickly phoned my mum and my sister.” Ironically, the character she plays wasn’t in the original movie. “That was even more exciting because I got to be involved, but also do something new and different to me.”

Leterrier describes the contrast between the two women in Perseus’ story (Io and Andromeda, a princess doomed to lose her life if Perseus does not succeed). “To me, they represent the two worlds that he is torn between the world of man that he was raised into and the world of the gods that he belongs in — and he will have to make a choice.” The director couldn’t have been more pleased with the casting of both women. “Alexa and Gemma are wonderful actresses. Like the princess, Alexa is extremely grounded and extremely human, whereas Gemma is very ethereal, with porcelain skin that can look almost transparent-like you could go through her if you were to touch her face.”

From the Photo Gallery: