Anthony Hopkins Cast As Roman Emperor For Epic Drama Series
Anthony Hopkins has been cast as Emperor Vespasian in the new Those About to Die gladiator series.
Anthony Hopkins is gearing up to star in a gladiator series for Peacock titled Those About to Die. The period drama is being developed for Peacock by Roland Emmerich and production is set to begin in March. Deadline reported that Hopkins will be playing Emperor Vespasian.
The Anthony Hopkins gladiator series is inspired by the nonfiction book by Daniel Mannix and explores the many facets of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. While there are sure to be bloody battles depicted, the series will also delve into the politics and business side of the sport. Hopkins’ role is a hardened Roman Emperor from the Flavian bloodline who claimed his throne after a civil war.
Of course, Anthony Hopkins’ Emperor Vespasian won’t be without enemies. There are those who hate him and wish to replace him on the throne as soon as possible. It’ll be interesting to see how this intersects with the gladiator aspects of the show.
Anthony Hopkins’ gladiator series is being written by Robert Rodat. Other than the involvement of Hopkins, Rodat, and Emmerich, there isn’t much more information about who will be in the series. As the March filming date draws closer, we’ll likely learn more about the other cast members of this epic drama.
While Anthony Hopkins’ gladiator show will undoubtedly keep him busy, the Oscar-winning actor also has plenty of other projects coming out in the future. As far as major blockbusters go, we’ll be seeing Hopkins in Rebel Moon, the next film from Zack Snyder. Rebel Moon follows a young emissary who seeks out warriors from other planets to help fight the imperial forces invading her home.
Along with Anthony Hopkins, Rebel Moon stars Sofia Boutella, Charle Hunnam, Ed Skrein, Djimon Hounsou, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes, Stuart Martin, Michiel Huisman, Jena Malone, Cleopatra Coleman, Alfonso Herrera, and Ray Fisher. Snyder directs and co-writes the screenplay with Kurt Johnstad and Shay Hatten. Rebel Moon is set to hit Netflix on December 22, 2023.
Anthony Hopkins’ gladiator series is the only TV show we’ll see him in anytime soon, but he has two more films planned for the near future along with Rebel Moon. We should see Hopkins in the film One Life before the year is over and his film Freud’s Last Session doesn’t have a release date yet. One Life stars Hopkins as British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, who helped to save hundreds of children from Nazis during World War II.
Currently, One Life has a release date set for December 8, 2023, so we’ll get two Anthony Hopkins films in December of this year. His gladiator series and his film Freud’s Last Session don’t have an official release window yet, and both are in the pre-production phases. We do know that Freud’s Last Session will star Hopkins as the titular neurologist, who invites his friend C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode) over to debate the existence of God.
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about Anthony Hopkins’ gladiator series and his upcoming films. In the meantime, you can catch him in his most recent film The Son. The Son is set to hit theaters this weekend.
