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Roland Emmerich’s upcoming gladiator series Those About to Die has been picked up by Prime Video across Europe.
High End Productions, a JV forged by Herbert G. Kloiber and Constantin Film, struck the deal for the show produced by Centropolis, Hollywood Gang and Street Entertainment.
When it becomes available on Prime in Europe, the show will become a rare example of a Peacock series that can be watched on a different streamer in other territories. Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Turkey, Andorra, Monaco, Luxembourg, and Belgium have all picked up the rights. The free TV rights outside the exclusive distribution window on Prime Video are currently still being negotiated with various licensees across Europe, according to Constantin Film.
The Peacock original stars Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vaspasian during the height of the Roman Empire. The Roman population—bored, restless, and increasingly violent—is kept in line mainly by two things: free food and spectacular entertainment, in the form of chariot racing and gladiator fights. The races at Circus Maximus are controlled by four Patrician-owned corporations, the Blue, Red, White, and Green factions, and shares in the four factions are the most valuable things in Rome.
Alongside Hopkins, Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Tom Hughes (The English, Victoria), Sara Martins (Tell No One, Death in Paradise) and Gabriella Pession (Crossing Lines) also star. Emmerich is directing with Marco Kreuzpaintner and the show is written by Oscar-nominee Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan).
In June, Deadline revealed that Independence Day director Emmerich had teamed up with the team behind the likes of World of Warcraft for a new Space Nation franchise.