Past and present collide to form the puzzle of the protagonist, a tapestry of triumphs and tragedies in which childhood memories and Alexander's rise to power unfold side by side with the later day expansion of his empire, and its ultimate downfall.

From his youth, fueled by dreams of glory and adventure, to his lonely and mysterious death as a ruler of a vast state, from the tumultuous relationship with his parents-a powerful king and a queen determined to put her child on the throne at any cost-to the rousing brotherly bonds with his closest companions and vast army, as they fought from the sun-scorched battlefields of the Persian Empire across the snow-peaked mountains of India, the film chronicles Alexander's journey to become a living legend, a man who embraced the ideal that power has a destiny.” Considering the buzz surrounding the picture, the $100 million production came and went with very little controversy: Colin Farrell fell down some stairs; Val Kilmer gained some weight for his role as King Philip II of Macedonia; and Angelina Jolie was rumored to have slept with everyone on the set. The usual.

The juiciest news surrounding the project actually happened before shooting even began, when Friends star Jennifer Aniston allegedly advised her husband Brad Pitt not to take the role of Alexander’s lover, Hephaestion, because it would be a bad career move.

Proving he’s not afraid to take risks, the much younger Jared Leto will get to bump and grind with Farrell on screen.

Anyone familiar with Stone’s oeuvre can expect Ferrell and Leto’s gay scenes to be anything but subtextual (maybe even a little controversial if they veer into J.F.K. or Nixon territory), but don’t expect the folks at Warner to call attention to them before the film’s release at the risk of alienating fans of Wolfgang Petersen’s homoerotic Troy.