Summary
A new streaming series set in Ancient Rome,Those About to Die, is the perfect show to watch during the interminable wait forGladiator 2to be released in theaters.Those About to Die, which just dropped all 10 of its episodes on Peacock in the U.S. and Amazon Prime internationally, similarly takes place in the swords-and-sandals world of gladiators who fight to the death to entertain the public. Robert Rodat, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behindSaving Private Ryan, adapted the epic historical drama series from the book of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix.
There’s some serious A-list talent involved behind the scenes ofThose About to Die. The first three and final two episodes were directed by Roland Emmerich, the master of disaster who helmed such blockbusters asIndependence Day,The Day After Tomorrow, and2012. The other five episodes were directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner, who worked on Netflix’sBodies. The cast is led by screen legend Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian and featuresGame of Thrones’ Iwan Rheon as Tenax.Those About to Dieis the perfect show to watch while waiting forGladiator 2to come out.
Those About To Die Explained: What Peacock’s New Ancient Rome Show Is
It’s all about the gladiator industry
Peacock’s new Ancient Roman dramaThose About to Dietakes place in the gladiator industry. WhereasGladiatorfollows the gladiatorial business from the perspective of a slave forced to fight for sport,Those About to Dietells its story from the point of view of an emperor, Vespasian, played by Hopkins. Vespasian entertains his constituents by sending people into a public arena to fight to the death. Gladiators were very much the rock stars of their day, andThose About to Dietells their story from the perspective of the managers and venue owners.
WhileGladiatoris all about the action-packed spectacle of bloodsport,Those About to Diedigs into the business side. Gladiator matches kept the public satisfied and entertained, which allowed the emperors to keep ruling Rome with an iron fist without much resistance.Those About to Dieexplores all the shady backroom dealings that allowed gladiators to become popular. It was Rome’s favorite pastime to watch gladiators fighting to the death, andThose About to Diehas plenty of fun with the dramatic potential inherent to that barbaric practice.
Why Those About To Die Is A Perfect Watch Before Gladiator 2
They both deal with the same themes and subject matter
Ridley Scott’s return to Ancient Rome is promising all kinds of action-packed spectacle.TheGladiator 2trailerfeatures gladiators fighting a bunch of different wildlife in the coliseum. It can be easy to get impatient while waiting for the movie to finally arrive, especially since it’s been in development since way back in 2001. But anyone looking forward to the gladiatorial combat of Scott’s big-screen sequel shouldlook no further thanThose About to Diefor a small-screen substitute.
BothThose About to DieandGladiator 2deal with the same themes and subject matter. Not only are they about gladiators who engage in death matches in the coliseum; they also explore the political corruption and brutal societal norms that allowed such a violent sport to become so popular. They both deal with Roman emperors being an early template for the modern-day dictator.Those About to Diehas Hopkins’ Emperor Vespasian andGladiator 2has Joseph Quinn’s Emperor Geta and Fred Hechinger’s Emperor Caracalla.
Gladiator 2is set to be released in the U.S. on June 29, 2025.
Gladiator 2 Should Be Even Better Than Those About To Die
Gladiator 2 has even more spectacle and even more A-list talent
WhileThose About to Dieis certainly an exciting series that delivers all the bloodshed it promises, it hasn’t exactly been universally acclaimed by critics.Those About to Diehas a “rotten” critics’ scoreof 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. This isn’t a terrible score – it’s on the higher end of the “rotten” spectrum – but it’s not a great score, either. Based on its much-hyped trailer, all the buzz around the film, and the intriguing story setup,Gladiator 2looks like it’ll be even better thanThose About to Die.
Gladiator 2has a lot more going for itthanThose About to Die. It promises more spectacle, with its blockbuster budget funding set-pieces like a fight with a rhino and a naval battle over shark-infested waters (and that’s just what was shown in the trailer). It also has more star power:Those About to Diemight have Anthony Hopkins, butGladiator 2has Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Paul Mescal.Gladiator 2is promising a lot more action, a more star-studded cast, and an even bigger scale thanThose About to Die.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
