The ancient Greek myth of Perseus, the son of Zeus who defeated Medusa, has been passed down for over two thousand years. But for movie fans, the tale was most memorably retold in the 1981 feature, "Clash of the Titans."

Now, after the success of sword-and-sandal epics like "Gladiator" and "300," the legend of Perseus is getting another big-screen adaptation. And this new "Clash of the Titans" looks like it will keep some of the qualities that made the original fun, but with an entirely updated look. Watch the brand-new teaser trailer to get a preview of the action, and keep reading to find out how this new version compares to the first movie.

THE MYTHOLOGY:
While some recent movies based on ancient Greek myths have toned down or even eliminated the characters of the gods -- 2004's "Troy" being the prime example -- this "Clash of the Titans" puts them front and center again.

The original movie took many liberties with the ancient myths, of course. In the story, the hero Perseus saves the maiden Andromeda from a sea creature called the "Cetus." For the film, the monster is called the "Kraken," which is actually a term from Scandinavian mythology. Also, the mythological Perseus gets around via flying sandals, and not by riding the winged horse Pegasus.

The new movie reportedly departs some from the story of the first film. It puts Perseus in the middle of a war between Zeus and Hades, the god of the underworld. Rather than only trying to save Andromeda, Perseus is tasked with preventing Hades from overrunning the Earth. One thing the new "Clash of the Titans" does share with the old one: it doesn't look like there are any of the mythological Titans -- the elder deities that were overthrown by Zeus -- actually in the movie.

THE CAST:
Like the first time around, the part of Perseus has gone to a hunky young actor who isn't exactly a household name. But newcomer Sam Worthington ("Terminator Salvation," the upcoming "Avatar") has a look that's nothing at all like original star Harry Hamlin. While Hamlin sported a mop of curly tresses and a one-shoulder toga, Worthington looks much tougher with close-cropped hair and leather armor.

The upcoming film also follows the previous one in casting great British actors as the Greek gods. Liam Neeson might not exactly be the Lawrence Olivier of today, but with his long hair, beard, and shiny armor he certainly cuts an imposing figure. The movie also marks Neeson's first time working opposite Ralph Fiennes -- who plays Hades -- since 1993's "Schindler's List."

THE SPECIAL EFFECTS:
Today, the 1981 "Clash of the Titans" is best remembered as being the last film for pioneering visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen was the master of stop-motion animation who brought creatures to life in movies for over forty years. "Clash of the Titans" showcased some of his most elaborate and inventive creations, all of which were painstakingly adjusted by hand one frame at a time. Harryhausen retired from filmmaking soon after "Titans" was released.

For the remake, the effects are being created with cutting edge computer generated imagery. The Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor of "The Dark Knight" and the digital effects artists that produced the creatures for the "Harry Potter" movies are making the giant scorpions, flying monsters, and, of course, the snake-haired Medusa.

We'll see how the new "Clash of the Titans" really measures up to the original when the movie arrives in theaters on March 26, 2010.