Watch: Anthony Hopkins plays Roman emperor in 'Those About to Die'
June 13 (UPI) -- Peacock is teasing the new show Those About to Die.
The streaming service shared a trailer for the series Thursday featuring Anthony Hopkins.
Those About to Die is based on the Daniel P. Mannix book of the same name, which also inspired the 2000 film Gladiator starring Russell Crowe.
The Peacock show explores the corruption, politics and spectacle of gladiator competitions in ancient Rome and features "an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics, and business intersect and collide."
Hopkins plays Vespasian, the emperor of Rome from 69 to 79 A.D.
"Life is of little value in Rome, living in the shadow of the rich and powerful, but all this is about to change," Vespasian narrates in the trailer. "Soon I shall cross to the kingdom of darkness, but nothing is more important than protecting our beloved Rome."
The cast also includes Game of Thrones alums Iwan Rheon and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, along with Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Rupert Penry-Jones, Gabrielle Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, Emilio Sakraya and David Wurawa.
Those About to Die is developed and executive produced by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot), Harald Kloser and Gianni Nunnari. The series will consist of 10 episodes and premiere July 18 on Peacock.
Hopkins' most recent TV role was Dr. Robert Ford on the HBO series Westworld.
