Those About To Die Stars Iwan Rheon & Sara Martins Compare New Epic Drama To Game Of Thrones

Summary All 10 episodes of Those About to Die are available on Peacock for a deep dive into the bloody gladiator battles of ancient Rome.

The ensemble cast, including Iwan Rheon and Sara Martins, were drawn to the series' unique setting and complex character dynamics.

Unlike Game of Thrones, this series focuses on the spectacle of sport in Roman society, offering a different perspective on historical dramas.

As of Thursday, July 18, all 10 episodes of Those About to Die are available to stream on Peacock. The epic drama is set during 79 AD and explores the financial motives behind Rome's bloodthirsty gladiator battles and how it affected those who lived during the time period. From chariot racing to high politics, the series offers a creative take on several historical figures and provides viewers with an in-depth look at the Flavian Dynasty.

Those About to Die features a strong ensemble cast, including Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon and Death in Paradise's Sara Martins. They admit they were drawn to the series due to the setting and the opportunity to work with Independence Day director, Roland Emmerich. The complex characters and society added to the actors' excitement, and both are hopeful that the audience will be fascinated by the sport-centered story.

Related Who Is Gianluca Bombardone? Those About To Die Episode 1's Dedication Explained Viewers may have spotted the dedication to a Gianluca Bombardone at the end of Those About to Die episode 1, and there's a sad story behind it.

Screen Rant chats with Rheon and Martins about what drew them to the series, as well as the similarities and differences between Game of Thrones and Those About to Die.

Unlike Game Of Thrones, Those About To Die Focuses On Sport And Spectacle

Screen Rant: To start off, what drew you both to Those About to Die and made you want to get involved?

Sara Martins: Can you imagine? I was drawn by everything, first to be part of this giant epic story. Of course I want to go there. Of course I want to go and work in film in Rome. Of course I'm going to work with Roland Emmerich, genius. And then I read the scripts, and I fell in love with my character. She is a spectacular woman—intelligent, the essence of motherhood. So, what else? Iwan Rheon: Yeah, all of these things, as Sara said. Everything ticked the box. For me, it was really the character. It always starts with a character for me, and the idea of playing such a complex social operator, who has this incredibly ruthless side, but also has a compassionate side. He's so multifaceted. He's spinning about ten plates at the same time and constantly having to fix things and putting out fires. It's an incredibly stressful life he has. I think that was it for me. And then the idea of working with Roland and doing something about Ancient Rome—it was all very exciting. Great scripts.

Some of the thematic elements in Those About to Die are similar to Game of Thrones. Iwan, how would you compare the two shows?

Iwan Rheon: Well, there are no dragons. This is based on history. This is historical, whereas Game of Thrones, I guess, you could argue, is based on history, but a lot of different histories that have been amalgamated and put together in a patchwork way, adding a fantasy element and all of this stuff. So I think that's very different. It's a very ruthless world, I suppose, very similar to Game of Thrones. It's about dynastic struggles and high politics. But I think what you see in this show, which is very different, obviously, it's very based around sport, and the spectacle of chariot racing, and the gladiatorial battles, and more of a cross-section of Roman society in the year 79. I think it's very different in that sense. You're getting thrown into a world, which is probably a lot more familiar to most people, because everyone knows something about the Roman Empire, but you get to see this wonderful detail of how every element of that society works in that time, with this crime boss in the middle who is trying to do everything and trying to pull all the strings. It's very fascinating, hopefully, for the audience.

About Those About to Die

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THOSE ABOUT TO DIE is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.

Check out our other interviews with the cast of Those About to Die:

All 10 episodes of Those About to Die are available to stream on Peacock.

Source: Screen Rant Plus