Who Dies: What does a Game of Thrones-style series have to do with Gladiator?

Peplums are on the rise again, thanks to The About to Die available on Prime Video. This historical series traces the origins of gladiatorial combat in the Roman Empire and the construction of the famous Colosseum in Rome, the largest amphitheater in the world!

This new work is adapted from Daniel P. From Mannix’s novel, which was never translated into French. Despite everything, the work enjoys a certain reputation across the Atlantic, to the point that it is cited as the main inspiration for the epic monument in cinema: Gladiator.

Fiction inspired by true historical facts

Ridley Scott’s 2000 feature film stars Russell Crowe as a fallen Roman general whose career as a gladiator offers him the opportunity to exact revenge on Emperor Commodus (Joachim Phoenix). A true masterpiece of cinema (awarded with 5 Oscars, including Best Picture), Gladiator helped kickstart the butterfly craze of the early 2000s.

The film’s screenwriting trio is credited to John Logan, William Nicholson and David Franzon, the latter of whom is also credited with creating the story. The plot of Gladiator concerns authentic historical characters, starting with Commodus, who is known for his cruelty, but also for his taste for gladiator fights (he did not hesitate to enter the arena).

Despite everything, Gladiator belongs to the genre of historical fiction, most of its plot is invented from scratch. The script was inspired by several works, including Anthony Mann’s 1964 film The Fall of the Roman Empire, as well as the novel. who will die Daniel P. by Mannix.

The Gladiator’s Way

The work only very far inspired the writing of Gladiator. The book and the film take place in different eras, and the two works ultimately share a rough and brutal portrayal of gladiatorial combat. Which explains why the novel is not listed in the credits.

Despite everything, an important detail confirms the influence of the book on the feature film. Shortly after the release of Gladiator, Those Who Must Die was reprinted under the new title… The Gladiator’s Way ! Despite the huge success of the film in France (almost 5 million admissions), this new edition of the novel was not translated in our region…

The historical series “The About to Die” is now available exclusively on Prime Video.

Discover the list of series currently available on the platform!