He played one of the most loathsome characters in Game of Thrones: he’s back in this new series of Gladiators.

It’s been a long time since peplums have been popular in Hollywood. This genre, although one of the most popular in the 50s and 60s, has experienced a brief resurgence of interest in recent decades, thanks to the success of the films Gladiator and Troy, or the series Rome and Spartacus.

But while the western is enjoying a second run thanks to Yellowstone, the series will also try to bring the peplum back to the fore. have the right to those who die (One who is going to die, in French), this Prime Video production is Daniel P. Adaptation of Mannix’s novel of the same name.

History of the origin of the gladiators of the Roman Empire

Created by American screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Ryan), the series is also produced and co-directed by disaster film specialist Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow, 2012…). Those Who Die takes us back to AD 79, in the final years of the reign of Emperor Vaspasian (Sir Anthony Hopkins).

In a Rome obsessed with corruption and political intrigue, the people’s taste for games gave birth to a new type of entertainment: gladiator fights. To host these bloody spectacles, the emperor built the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater ever built.

From Game of Thrones to the Roman Coliseum

Backed by a big budget (around $150 million) necessary to create the many special effects and magnificent sets, The About to Die stars Game of Thrones actors Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) and Johannes Haukur Johannesson (The Mountain). Also Franco-Portuguese actress Sara Martins (Murder in Paradise).

The Misfits series revealed that Iwan Rheon rose to international fame thanks to his portrayal of Ramsay Bolton, who is by far one of the baddest bastards in all of Game of Thrones. However, his role in The About to Die is different, as the latter will lend his qualities to Tenax, an ambitious businessman who specializes in chariot racing.

Filming in historical studios

Let’s also remember that Ivan Reon was not the first choice for the role. Originally, it was Lorenzo Richelmi who was to lend his qualities to Tenax. But the lead role in the Marco Polo series was eventually replaced by the 39-year-old English actor due to scheduling reasons.

In the United States, the series is produced and broadcast by the platform Peacock. But the program will be offered internationally on Prime Video, with exclusive broadcast deals. The filming of the series took place in Rome at the Cinecitta studio, the historic location where the most iconic epics such as Ben-Hur were filmed.

Episode 10 of “The About to Die” premieres July 19 exclusively on Prime Video.

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