Filming begins in Cinecittà for Those About To Die, an epic drama set in ancient Rome directed by Roland Emmerich at his TV-series debut and co-directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner. Written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Robert Rodat and inspired by Daniel Mannix’s 1958 non-fiction homonymous classic, Those About To Die chronicles the lives of gladiators in ancient Rome, and is produced by AGC Studios, with Emmerich executive producing alongside Gianni Nunnari and Harald Kloser.
In the role of Vespasian, emperor of Rome and head of the Flavian lineage, Anthony Hopkins; Tom Hughes plays Titus Flavianus, Vespasian’s eldest son and heir candidate to the imperial throne, and Jojo Macari is in the role of the ambitious younger son Domitian, Titus’ rival for the throne. Portuguese Sara Martins was cast as Cala, a formidable, ruthless and fiercely intelligent trader; Gabriella Pession is Antonia, a skilled politician and ruthless patrician. Also starring are Dimitri Leonidas, Moe Hashim and, as just announced by the producers, Iwan Rheon, Liraz Charhi, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Eneko Sagardoy , Pepe Barroso, Gonçalo Almeida, Kyshan Wilson, and Alicia Ann Edogam.
Those About To Die is produced by US Agc Television with Emmerich’s Centropolis Entertainment, the Austrian High End Productions, Street Entertainment, Nunnari’s Hollywood Gang for Peocock which is NBC Universal’s streaming service. Executive Co-producer for local services in Italy is Wildside.