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Anthony Hopkins as Roman Emperor - "Those About to Die"

Disaster films are his specialty, but now Roland Emmerich is turning to gladiators and history. In his first streaming series, Sir Anthony Hopkins is alongside him - as the master of Rome.

,   and  Elizabeth Wells
4 min read
Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian.
Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian.

Streaming - Anthony Hopkins as Roman Emperor - "Those About to Die"

Anthony Hopkins (86), the Oscar-winning actor, has brilliantly portrayed notable figures such as Pablo Picasso, Alfred Hitchcock, Pope Benedict, and Richard Nixon. Roland Emmerich (68), the director behind disaster blockbusters like "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow," is now working with Hopkins. Does that make sense?

With the gripping historical series "Those About To Die" (Premiere: July 19 on Prime Video), Emmerich showcases another side. In Emmerich's Rome in the year 79 AD, he depicts power struggles, corruption, gladiator fights, and chariot races in ancient Rome. "I am very interested in history. I am a history man," the Hollywood director told the German Press Agency during an interview at the Cinecitta Film Studios in Rome. "People don't change that much. It's always about envy. Many things we describe here are still relevant today."

With toga and laurel wreath

Sir Hopkins plays the imposing figure of Roman Emperor Vespasian in the series. With a white toga and golden laurel wreath, the 86-year-old sets the tone for Emmerich's Rome. "Nothing is more important than our beloved Rome," the emperor declares in a city marked by brutal power struggles, bitter poverty, and bloody competitions.

Hopkins was an easy win for the role. The British actor was quick to agree to shoot in Rome and work with the "fantastic" director duo of Emmerich and his co-director Marco Kreuzpaintner (47, "Krabat," "The Fall Collini"). Both have directed five episodes of the ten-part series.

For himself, it was easy work, Hopkins says, smiling. "I just had to play a strong and stern father who keeps his two sons in check, as there was envy and one wanted power." The bitter conflict between the two emperor's sons Titus and Domitian, played by the Brits Tom Hughes ("Mystery of a Living Death") and Jojo Macari ("Sex Education"), is just one of many storylines.

Diversity and spectacular Fights

Emmerich has transported a colorful mix of characters with their sufferings, love affairs, bloodlust, and strength contests to ancient Rome. There, slaves, patricians, gladiators, and chariot drivers fight daily for more power or survival. The city's situation is tense - with food rations and spectacular games intended to keep the population entertained.

The Nubian trader Cala (Sara Martins) wants to rescue her children taken to Rome. Her son Kwame (Moe Hashim) fights as a gladiator, while her two daughters were sold as slaves. The greedy Tenax, played by Iwan Rheon ("Game of Thrones"), runs a betting business for the chariot races, and four powerful and corrupt patrician factions control these games. For the gladiator fights, a colosseum is built on the emperor's orders to entertain the masses with brutal fights and sports competitions.

Cruel Scenes and Sex

Emmerich follows in the footsteps of the ancient Romans. With merciless brutality, explicit sex scenes, and heart-stopping chariot races, he delivers an enthralling spectacle. "The masses demanded entertainment, didn't they?" Emmerich captioned a series trailer on Instagram cryptically.

For many scenes with historical backdrops, he used a large canvas with a virtual background. The images are powerful, from the eruption of Vesuvius with ash rain over Rome to the water battle in the artificially flooded Colosseum. Huge crocodiles devour their victims, lions and rhinoceroses are released against gladiators. Nothing for the faint-hearted.

Historical Source

Historically accurate is "Those About To Die" not, but the series draws inspiration from the same-named book by US author Daniel Mannix from 1958. The script was written by Robert Rodat ("Saving Private Ryan", Thor – The Dark Kingdom).

Revival of Sandal Films

The filming took almost nine months last year. "That was harder than a film," says Emmerich. "My last film I shot in 61 days. This one took about 230 days. It becomes routine, but then you get a second breath. The last two months were a lot of fun."

Whether the audience will have appetite for many gladiator fights remains to be seen. In four months, on the big screen, there will be the monumental film "Gladiator 2" by director Ridley Scott (86). Emmerich has no problem with the revival of sandal films. "I've seen 'Gladiator', 'Spartacus', 'Ben Hur'. 'Gladiator' was the one I liked the most. I believe it comes in waves. Sometimes it's time for this, sometimes for that. Themes come and go. But it's something I've wanted to do for a longer time. I enjoy the competition."

  1. Anthony Hopkins' performance in "Those About To Die" on Prime Video includes portraying renowned figures like Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Nixon, further showcasing his versatility as an actor.
  2. The German Press Agency interviewed Roland Emmerich at the Cinecitta Film Studios in Rome, where he mentioned his interest in history and how it remains relevant, influencing the series.
  3. Hopkins wears a white toga and golden laurel wreath, embodying the imposing Roman Emperor Vespasian, setting the tone for Emmerich's Rome.
  4. The Hollywood director collaborated with Marco Kreuzpaintner, the co-director of "Krabat" and "The Fall Collini," pushing Hopkins to give his best performance in Rome.
  5. After portraying a stern and powerful father, Hopkins found the Roman Emperor Vespasian's role an easy win, as it was similar to his past roles with strong family dynamics.
  6. "Those About To Die" incorporates a variety of diverse characters and storylines, including a Nubian trader striving to rescue her children sold to Rome and the power struggles between factions running chariot races.
  7. The German director delivers an enthralling spectacle with merciless brutality, explicit sex scenes, and heart-stopping chariot races, as demanded by the ancient Roman entertainment.
  8. With the release of "Gladiator 2" approaching, Emmerich welcomes the revival of sandal films and considers the themes as waves that come and go in filmmaking.
  9. Emmerich uses a large canvas with virtual backgrounds for many historical scenes in the series, creating powerful imagery including the eruption of Vesuvius and water battles in the Colosseum.
  10. The historical accuracy of "Those About To Die" is questionable, but it draws inspiration from Daniel Mannix's 1958 book with the same title, with the script written by Robert Rodat.
  11. Iwan Rheon, known for his role in "Game of Thrones," plays a greedy bettor running a business for the chariot races in the corrupt patrician factions' games on Prime Video's "Those About To Die."

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