‘Gladiator II’ Skipped Rome Entirely — For One Surprisingly Practical Reason

If you thought Gladiator II was bursting with proper Roman atmosphere, you might be surprised to learn not a single scrap was actually filmed in Rome itself. Odd, that. You’d think Ridley Scott, after all these years making epics, would get first dibs on the Colosseum. But no — the backstory is far stranger, involving a TV drama, a bit of Hollywood one-upmanship, and even Anthony Hopkins.

‘Those About to Die’ premiered on Peacock in July 2024 — two years ago today, marks the series’ first outing.

Why Gladiator II Couldn’t Film in Rome

Here’s what went down. Whilst Scott was prepping his highly anticipated sequel — with Paul Mescal stepping in as Lucius, Maximus’ long-forgotten son — another contender crossed into the arena. Peacock had commissioned Those About to Die, a “sword-and-sandal” series with Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian. To shoot all those sweaty, toga-clad set pieces, its producers quietly snapped up the precious filming rights in Rome itself. The timing, it must be said, was exquisite — or diabolical, depending whose side you’re on.

Roland Emmerich, director of disaster movies like Independence Day and Godzilla, was the man at the helm. And the thing is, Emmerich’s got as much Hollywood clout as Ridley, so when it came to elbowing for those city permits, he and his team, led by writer Robert Rodat, managed to block Scott’s team from setting up shop anywhere near the ancient ruins.

Asked about the situation, Emmerich was gracious, to be fair, and seemed genuinely taken aback that Gladiator’s story could even continue after Maximus’ death. Here’s what he told Empire Magazine:

Emmerich said: "I'm really in awe how he could continue that story. Maximus was dead!"

Robert Rodat, Those About to Die's chief writer, took it a step further and actually apologised for nabbing Rome from Ridley Scott, admitting the assets in the city were limited and confirming Scott wasn’t too happy about losing out:

Rodat added: "There are limited assets in Rome and it's my understanding that he was disappointed that he wasn't able to shoot there. For that, I apologize!"

With Rome off the table, Scott pivoted and shifted production to Morocco, Malta, and the UK. Not a bad compromise, to be honest, as you can’t really tell unless you’re the sort of person pausing Blu-rays to inspect columns.

What Those About to Die Actually Was

So what’s the fuss over Those About to Die? The whole show draws from the same Daniel P. Mannix book that inspired the OG Gladiator, and the title itself refers to the gladiator’s salute to the emperor before things got bloody ("Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant"). Hopkins plays Vespasian, the very capable ruler who launched Rome’s famed Flavian dynasty and kicked off construction of what would become the Colosseum — so, yes, there’s plenty of historical crossover here. His sons, Titus and Domitianus, co-rule, just as they did in the actual year 79 AD. There’s a side plot involving Tenax — a gambler trying to hustle his way up the social ladder via the Circus Maximus and its chariot races — as well as a mother (Cala) scheming to free her children from enslavement and keep her son from dying in the arena. You get the idea: political maneuvers, family drama, an empire in flux.

Despite all this, the series never really caught fire. Reviews were very much a mixed bag, with a paltry 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and a “mid-6” score on IMDb. Critics harped on "overcrowding" (too many characters, none fully fleshed out) and an exhausting amount of gore that felt more like a dare than a storytelling choice. Despite grand plans (Rodat and Emmerich wanted a trilogy), executive producer Stuart Ford confirmed in 2026 that a second season is "probably not" happening.

The Gladiator II Fix

So, did being banned from Rome ruin Gladiator II? Not even close. Actually, the casting this time around might even surpass the original. Denzel Washington — 69 at the time of filming — is absolutely on a tear as a wily gladiator owner who schemes harder than he swings a sword, serving up some proper villainy not far off his Training Day swagger.

Mescal, playing Lucius, more than holds his own — and bearing in mind he’d never done a film of this size, that’s saying something. There’s genuine heart in his performance, the sort that actually makes you hope the poor bloke gets out alive. Pedro Pascal is his usual scene-stealing self as Acacius, the Roman general who’s part hero, part headache. The multidirectional camerawork and CGI polish everything for maximum spectacle, so you can almost taste the dust and sweat. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that handing a sandpit to Ridley Scott is usually a good idea.

• Gladiator II stars: Paul Mescal (Lucius), Denzel Washington (Macrinus), Pedro Pascal (Acacius), with supporting roles for May Calamawy and Joseph Quinn.