Summary

• Those About to Die, which was filmed in Rome's Cinecittà Studios, offers a gritty look at Ancient Roman gladiators' harsh lives.
• Producers aimed for authenticity, collaborating with Italian museums to create accurate period replicas.
• Peacock's epic series displaced Gladiator 2 by booking Cinecittà Studios for its production.

Peacock's newest series, the sword-and-sandal epic Gladiator 2 a fun bit of serendipity.

Those About to Die chronicles the rather harrowing lives of Ancient Roman gladiators. In order to fully realize the drama's historical world, Those About to Die's cast of characters is stacked with stars, including two-time Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, who plays Vespasian, one of Rome's short-lived emperors; Dimitri Leonidas, who takes on the role of legendary charioteer Scorpus; and Tom Hughes, who plays Titus Flavianus, the next in line for the throne. Although the mixed reviews of Those About to Die tell different stories about the series, it clearly captures the brutality of Rome's storied gladiator trials.

Those About To Die Actually Filmed In Rome

The Gladiator Drama Shot At Rome's Cinecittà Studios

Set in the year 79 AD, the real history of Those About to Die's Flavian dynasty is as interesting as the invented drama, though all of it feels authentic thanks to the show's filming location. Not only is the series tasked with bringing the brutal-yet-complicated underbelly of Rome's gladiators to life, but it's also tasked with painting a picture of the empire's bread-and-circus efforts. Put simply, the promise of free food and violent spectacles ensures that everyday Romans are distracted and obedient. As such, the epic gladiator drama's production took place at Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios.

The studios' clever nickname stems, in part, from the location's deep ties to legendary Hollywood flicks, including 1959's religious epic Ben-Hur...

Often referred to as "Hollywood on the Tiber," Cinecittà Studios is the place to film a historical epic in Italy. The studios' clever nickname stems, in part, from the location's deep ties to legendary Hollywood flicks, including 1959's religious epic Ben-Hur, and its iconic chariot-race scene, and 1963's sprawling historical drama Cleopatra. Co-production designer Laura Pozzaglio, who calls Rome home, collaborated with Italian museums to create period-accurate replicas of everything from sculptures to furniture. "We always strived to be as accurate as possible," Pozzaglio told NBC.

Those About To Die Beat Gladiator 2 To Booking Cinecittà Studios

The Peacock Series Relies On Massive Sets & CGI Replicas To Bring Ancient Rome To Life

Able to secure Cinecittà Studios for the length of its production, Those About to Die favored filming on sets over shooting on location. While that choice is definitely apparent in the show's CGI-and-soundstage-packed episodes, there's also a throwback quality to the series' approach to recreating Ancient Rome with elaborate sets. Already released in full, Peacock's Those About to Die offers up a solid sword-and-sandals genre fix months before Gladiator 2. To make matters more interesting, the show actually displaced Ridley Scott's movie by booking Cinecittà, forcing the Gladiator sequel to shoot outside of Italy.

All 10 episodes of Those About to Die season 1 are now streaming on Peacock.

Source: NBC