Yahoo News ‘GOT,’ ‘Vikings’ and ‘Summertime’ Stars Join Roland Emmerich’s Gladiator Series ‘Those About to Die’
Roland Emmerich is filling out his Colosseum, with a new troop of actors to complete the cast of Those About to Die, a gladiator action series which the Independence Day director has begun shooting in Rome.
Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon, Vikings actor Johannes Haukur Johannesson and Alicia Edogamhe, best-known for Netflix series Summertime, are among the new additions to the ensemble cast, as well as Tehran actress Liraz Charhi, Britain’s Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5), Elite actor Eneko Sagardoy, Gonçalo Almeida (Amor Amor), Kyshan Wilson (Viola) and Pepe Barroso (Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming Gran Turismo).
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They join two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins headlines the series as Roman emperor Vespasian. Previously-announced cast include Tom Hughes, Sara Martins, Jojo Macari, Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, and Moe Hashim.
Rheon has been cast as ambitious crime boss, Tenax. He replaces the previously announced Lorenzo Richelmy, who was unable to participate in the series due to scheduling conflicts. Johannesson will play Viggo, an imposing Norse gladiator and expert at fighting with weapons. Edogamhe and Wilson will play Aura and Julia, the two daughters of Cala (Martins), one of whom is sold into training as a female gladiator, the other sold as a slave. Sagardoy, Barroso and Almeida will play three brothers, all of whom have a talent for horses and chariot driving.
Charhi will portray Berenice, Queen of the conquered Judeans currently held captive in Rome. Penry-Jones plays Marsus, a wealthy Patrician and retired general.
The series, inspired by the non-fiction book by Daniel Mannix on the complex and corrupt world of ancient Rome’s spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, is being produced for NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock, which gave a straight-to-series order for the show. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) is adapting the book for the screen. Alongside Emmerich, Marco Kreuzpaintner (Amazon series Beat) will direct individual episodes.
High End Productions, the new distribution and financing partnership between Herbert Kloiber Sr. and Constantin Film, is co-financing the series alongside Stuart Ford’s AGC International, with High End taking all distribution rights for Europe and remaining worldwide rights controlled by AGC which is acting as studio under its AGC Television banner.
Emmerich, Rodat and Kreuzpainter are executive producing, alongside Street Entertainment’s Harald Kloser, Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari, High End’s Kloiber, Martin Moszkowicz, Oliver Berben and Jonas Bauer, AGC’s Ford and Chief Creative Officer Lourdes Diaz and Charles Holland.
Iwan Rheon is repped by Curtis Brown; Eneko Sagardoy by Kuranda; Pepe Barroso by Cristina Chaparro Management; Gonçalo Almeida by Carrêlo Squad; Kyshan Wilson by Karascio’ Consulenze Artistiche; Alicia Edogamhe by Moviement SRL; Rupert Penry-Jones by ARG Talent Agency; Liraz Charhi by ADD Content Agency; and Johannes Haukur Johannesson by Independent Talent. All deals were negotiated by Director of Legal and Business Affairs Conor McElroy on behalf of AGC.
