ROLAND EMMERICH HELMING GLADIATOR-STYLE TV SHOW

Sword-and-sandals yarns fit right in with the theme of this website.  So it may interest many to hear that director Roland Emmerich is going into TV land to helm a new Gladiator-style show.

Those About To Die, inspired by Daniel Mannix’s eponymous non-fiction book, will stream on Peacock.  Deadline says the following:

The series is a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex, and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. The series introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics, and business intersect and collide.

Emmerich has been given a budget of $140 million.  A statement from the production company adds:

“Those About To Die takes on Ancient Rome in a completely new way. While the series will be epic in scope and have the spectacle of gladiators and chariot racing, it also has unexpected characters amidst palace intrigue and a dark criminal underworld,” said Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We jumped at the opportunity to partner with the unmatched creative minds of Roland Emmerich, Robert Rodat, Harald Kloser, AGC Studios and Gianni Nunnari’s Hollywood Gang, to create this bold, action-packed series for Peacock audiences.”