Peacock goes epic with Roland Emmerich’s Those About To Die trailer starring Anthony Hopkins

Here comes Peacock’s first real attempt to play with the big boys. Sure, the streamer made its bones as the place to watch The Office and Real Housewives, but it hasn’t yet branched out into epic territory in the style of House Of The Dragon or Rings Of Power or Shogun or Foundation or Showtime’s many sumptuous historical dramas. NBCUniversal’s streaming service will take a stab at it with Those About To Die, a sprawling historical action-drama based on Daniel P. Mannix’s book about Roman gladiators, which drops all its episodes on July 18. On top of being grand in scale, the series sports some A-list names, including producer and director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day), Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and fantasy-epic alum Iwan Rheon.

Per a synopsis of the series, “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.”

You may be thinking, is the corrupt world of spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition really a story about ancient Rome that has never before been told? They’re in the middle of making Gladiator 2 right now, after all. But, the trailer shows that this 10-episode series is as much about the behind-the-scenes machinations of putting on gladiator battles as it is about the battles themselves. The power struggles exist at every level of Roman life, from the Emperor (Hopkins) down to the master of games (Rheon). “Anything can happen,” Rheon’s character asserts. “Even plebeians like us might rule this city.”

Those About To Die was created by another Oscar nominee, Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan). Hopkins and Rheon star alongside Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, Emilio Sakraya, David Wurawa, Pepe Barroso, Gonçalo Almeida, Eneko Sagardoy, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Lara Wolf, Angeliqa Devi, Kyshan Wilson, and Alicia Edogamhe.

In a statement, EP Emmerich (who directed five of the episodes) said he’s “always been fascinated by the history of the Roman Empire. So much still seems relevant for our society today—from the entanglement of politics and sports to the disciplines of the competitions, which haven’t changed much either over the last 2000 years. The most electrifying spectacles for the masses still involve two men in an arena, beating each other up, and the chariots of today are called race cars whose drivers still crash and often pay with their lives.” The director promised that the series, which is being presented as counter-programming to the gladiatorial games of the 2024 summer Olympics, will have plenty of that coveted “blood and sport,” adding, “Let the games begin.”