With House Of The Dragon Season 2 right around the corner (and Season 3 just confirmed) over at Sky, and Shōgun armouring up for future series on Disney+ too, Peacock is preparing to enter the prestige epic fray with sprawling gladiator drama Those About To Die. Based on Daniel P. Mannix's same-named non-fiction book, the new series, created by Saving Private Ryan writer Robert Rodat, has some serious heavyweight talent behind it too. Blockbuster veteran Roland Emmerich is directing the show, whilst Sir Anthony Hopkins and Game Of Thrones star Iwan Rheon lead a heavyweight ensemble as Roman Emperor Vespasian and Master of Games Tenax. Check out the spectacular first trailer for the show below;
Chariot races? Check. Arena battles? Check. Plotting, scheming, uprisings, and downfalls? Check, check, check, and check. Are you not entertained? Oops, wrong franchise! Anywho, inevitable Gladiator comparisons aside, Rodat and Emmerich's swords-and-sandals epic certainly looks to have all the makings of a real historical humdinger as the duo delve into the corruption rife and claret soaked world of gladiatorial sport,. And if this first trailer's anything to go by, with its lavish sets, detailed costuming, and scenery-chewing introductions to Hopkins' imperious Emperor and Rheon's scheming Tenax, then we can expect Those About To Die to rival even the almighty Thrones in the scale and spectacle stakes.
And if it seems like there's a lot going on here, then that'll be because there is. Check out the series' official synopsis: "Those About To Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told—the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties."
Among the stars joining Hopkins and Rheon for all the blood and sport are *deep breath* Tom Hughes (The English), Sara Martins, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Game of Thrones), Jojo Macari (Sex Education), Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, Emilio Sakraya, Moe Hashim (Ted Lasso), and Rupert Penry-Jones (The Batman). We'll find out whether Those About To Die gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down from us when the series arrives on Peacock on 18 July, and Prime Video in the UK and Ireland on 19 July.