Roland Emmerich would have found the actor to embody his Roman emperor in his future series on the world of gladiators, Those About To Die.
On It has been known for some time that Roland Emmerich is about to retire, after destroying the Moon, ravaging the White House and repelling an alien invasion. With his departure, a certain idea of cinema will disappear, not always very refined, very regressive and quite pleasing. But before bowing out, the director ofIndependence Day intends to make the most of the last moments he has left in Hollywood.
Thus, he will propose his Gladiatorwith a television series titled Those About To Die, devoted to the universe of the gladiators of ancient Rome, adding its stone to a fairly substantial edifice. It will probably be difficult to bring new blood to the genre. This is why the filmmaker opted for a strong choice concerning the interpreter of the emperor for his project. He has indeed won the services of a legendary comedian.
“Who could be more emblematic than me to play the emperor? »
And this is Anthony Hopkins. The one who won the Oscar for best actor twice (Thesilenceofthelambs, The Father) will therefore embody one of the major figures of ancient Rome. But which ? Indeed, for the moment, we do not officially know which emperor the Briton will assume the features of, on the occasion of his participation in Those About To Die.
Of course, we can make some assumptions about this. As a reminder, Those About To Die is based on the eponymous novel by Daniel P. Mannix which had served as a template for the Gladiator by Ridley Scott. When we know a bit about the plot of the book, but also history, we can assume that Anthony Hopkins will slip into the skin of Marc-Aurèle (even if it remains speculation). Anyway, whatever the final identity of the emperor, this role will be added to the collection of prestigious characters played by Anthony Hopkins.
“One day I will be emperor like you soon”
This is why we can rejoice in its presence in the series, which could also convince skeptics to watch it. We also hope that the other members of the cast will live up to their illustrious partner, which would be necessary in view of the promises announced by the synopsis.
Those About To Die is presented as a drama taking place both in the corrupt world of gladiator fights (probably nags, Roland Emmerich oblige) and in a Roman society full of intrigue. And we are now a little more curious to discover this enticing program (thanks Anthony Hopkins).
