The Colosseum roars back to life this summer with German director Roland Emmerich’s first official tryst with television, thanks to his ambitious new series Those About to Die. Set against the backdrop of the Flavian dynasty of the Roman Empire, this 10-episode spectacle premieres on July 18, just in time to whet appetites for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Celebrated for his mastery in large-scale, high-stakes filmmaking, Emmerich directs five of the episodes with his undiminished passion for storytelling. Known for blockbusters like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, Emmerich’s signature style — marked by grandiosity, absurdly-scaled production, and a curious knack for depicting societal collapse — seems to have all the makings to elevate Those About to Die into a stunning and charged epic.
The series, inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 book and developed by Robert Rodat (the screenwriter behind Saving Private Ryan) offers yet another portrayal of the political and social intricacies of ancient Rome — Hollywood seems quite taken with the idea lately — through the lens of its most brutal and popular spectacles: the games.
A still from ‘Those About To Die’ | Photo Credit: Peacock
Emmerich’s ability to capture the chaotic beauty of the great civilisation in turmoil shines through in this series. He brings ancient Rome to vivid life, not just through the spectacles in the arena, but also through the personal and political dramas unfolding behind the scenes that have the Machievellian smear of its seasoned successors, Game of Thrones and Succession. Its cast is led by two-time Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins as the Emperor Vespasian, and also features Iwan Rheon of Game of Thrones fame, as well as The Irregulars star Jojo Macari.
In our exclusive interview with Emmerich, he shares insights into the series’ development and his directorial approach and reflects on his own filmography, dropping hints about future projects and a fond look back at a certain Oscar-winning reptilian icon.
Excerpts:
Balancing historical accuracy with dramatic storytelling is definitely no easy feat. How did you navigate the fine line between fact and fiction while depicting the Flavian dynasty?
Roland: Well, it’s an interesting period because Vespasian, who became emperor, came from a family of mule breeders. He became a significant general and was sent to Judea to quell the rebellion there in his old age. He was the last of the four emperors after Nero killed himself. There were three other generals fighting for the Emperorship, and Vespasian was the last one standing. He brought stability after the civil war and rebuilt Rome, including constructing the Colosseum, a grand gesture at the time. He had two sons, which was unique among emperors before him and his reign lasted 12 years.
The show features a diverse cast of characters, and you have Spanish horse breeders, a Numidian family, even a Judean princess; how important was it for you to showcase such a variety of perspectives in ancient Rome?
Roland: We wanted to show how multi-coloured and multi-ethnic Rome truly was. Don’t forget, a third of everybody who lived in Rome was a slave. They had to come from somewhere, right? And they were not Romans; they were conquered people who were taken as slaves and made to work. This led to a significant influx from other countries, and we wanted to represent that. Rome was also the centre of the world at that time; it was a city with more than a million people. Can you imagine? That was a big city.
A still from ‘Those About To Die’ | Photo Credit: Peacock
Was it easier to translate the representation of queer characters onto the screen, given that ancient Rome was at the height of sexual fluidity?
Roland: Yes, that was an idea we had. Amongst the characters, we made Domitian who was openly gay, and he had his boy with him everywhere. It was widely accepted in Rome at that time, so we could portray that aspect authentically.
This was your first collaboration with Sir Anthony Hopkins. What was it like having him on set, and did his performance inform or alter the writing of Vespasian?
Roland: He had the character completely figured out and portrayed him as a soldier who never shows weakness. Even when weak, he hides it and wants to die standing. His performance was incredibly impressive.
A still from ‘Those About To Die’ | Photo Credit: PEACOCK
The series will probably be compared to modern television greats like ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Succession’ for its Shakespearean view on family politics and the relentless jostle for power. Do you think the series will build upon these preset foundations, or does it attempt something wildly different?
Roland: Look, I don’t know how successful the show will be — time will tell. But I had a lot of fun making it because there’s so much going on and so many different characters. At its core, it has a nearly Shakespearean element where the old man has to choose one of his two sons to succeed him, and naturally he chooses the military dude because he kind of likes him more and he’s more like him. It’s about succession, but it’s also very much like a sports show of that era. If they had TV back then, they would have had sports shows like this.
Did technology play a major part in enhancing your vision of ancient Rome, or did you rely more on practical sets?
Roland: We shot in Rome and had the advantage of a volume stage, which made everything look big even if it wasn’t. We also used a super accurate model of Ancient Rome built by German guys for a museum and rendered it in Unreal Engine. It was complicated and I don’t want to belittle it. You don’t have much time to begin with, and have to work much faster than you normally do because every problem lasts half a day or so. So you have to be very, very careful with what you do and how you do it.
A still from ‘Those About To Die’ | Photo Credit: PEACOCK
Decline and decay are themes that have featured heavily in your filmography, with ‘The Day After Tomorrow,’ ‘2012’ and now the decline of the Roman Empire. What draws you to this idea of a crumbling society?
Roland: Well, it’s a more interesting story. When something is successful, who really cares? But when it goes down, it’s always more interesting. The decline is always more interesting than the success. And here you have constant cycles of success and decline. The Roman Empire, for example, was famously dying out because it was too big. It fell apart. There was no way to keep it going for that long.
We recently got our first look at Ridley Scott’s sequel to ‘Gladiator’ later this year, and Francis Ford Coppola just premiered ‘Megalopolis’ at Cannes, which also alludes to many Roman greats. What do you think is driving Hollywood’s renewed interest in ancient Rome?
Roland: (laughs) I have had the pleasure to come out first!
But honestly, it’s a coincidence. Creating a movie about the Roman Empire is really expensive and requires a lot of planning. Our show was very complex and complicated to produce. We had a budget of $150 million, which is much smaller compared to Ridley Scott’s $200-250 million, but we managed to accomplish a lot with it.
A still from ‘Those About To Die’ | Photo Credit: Peacock
You were also supposed to adapt ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ to television?
Roland: Yes, I found a great writer, Anthony McCarten, who wrote The Theory of Everything, The Darkest Hour, and the last version of Bohemian Rhapsody. We already have a pilot script, so it’s in the works.
Is there any word on a new ‘Independence Day’ film?
Roland: The last one wasn’t as successful as we’d hoped for and then Will Smith opted out... and now he slapped somebody else. I don’t think it will happen again. I still have other film projects in the works, so don’t worry. But I did really have a clear blueprint in mind for the film.
Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki just won ‘Godzilla’ its first Oscar in its 70-year existence and praised your ‘Godzilla’ movie for its technical achievements and execution. Do you look back fondly at the film 25 years later?
Roland: Yes, I like the film and never understood the criticism. It was a clever way to tell a modern Godzilla story, much more realistic than previous versions. The old Godzilla was a suit that had to be bottom-heavy to work. I thought our Godzilla was better, faster, and could procreate, which made it more dynamic and I really thought it was a very, very clever film.
Have you had the chance to watch ‘Godzilla Minus One’?
Roland: I haven’t yet, but it’s on my list. I’ve heard it’s a fantastic movie.
Those About To Die premieres on Prime Video on July 18
