Roland Emmerich Will Direct Gladiatorial Drama Series ‘Those About To Die’

Peacock has given a directly to-series order to a gladiator drama directed by Roland Emmerich.

The NBCU streamer has provided the order to Those About to Die, inspired by Daniel Mannix’s eponymous nonfiction book.

The series is a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. It presents an outfit of different characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics and business intersect and impact.

2022 Peacock Series and Pilot Orders

The series comes from AGC Television and will be co-funded by Europe’s High End Productions, the organization set up by Herbert G. Kloiber and Constantin Film, which has appropriation privileges in Europe.

The creation spending plan is around $140M and that further creation accomplices across Latin America, Middle East and Asia are supposed to be added before the beginning of creation in Italy in the principal quarter of 2023.

Moonfall and Independence Day chief Emmerich will steerage and executive produce by means of his Centropolis Entertainment pennant. Oscar candidate Robert Rodat, who composed Saving Private Ryan, will compose and executive produce.

Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari and Street Entertainment’s Harald Kloser additionally will chief produce close by High End’s Oliver Berben, Kloiber, Martin Moszkowicz and Jonas Bauer. AGC CEO Stuart Ford and Chief Content Officer Lourdes Diaz likewise are EPs.

AGC International will deal with overall dissemination privileges beyond the Europe.

“Those About To Die takes on Ancient Rome in a completely new way,” said Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “While the series will be epic in scope and have the spectacle of gladiators and chariot racing, it also has unexpected characters amidst palace intrigue and a dark criminal underworld. We jumped at the opportunity to partner with the unmatched creative minds of Roland Emmerich, Robert Rodat, Harald Kloser, AGC Studios and Gianni Nunnari’s Hollywood Gang to create this bold, action-packed series for Peacock audiences.”