NEW & FORTHCOMING
ANCIENT WORLD
MOVIES & TV SHOWS

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I. 2013 Releases

The short film Excelsior, shot in Latin with English subtitles, puts forth the novel notion that survivors of Carthage escaped to the New World. Tagline: Carthago NON delenda est! Filmmaker James Day is currently submitting the film to festivals. Watch a trailer here.

Odysseus, a new 12-hour TV mini-series starring Italian actor Alessio Boni in the title role, debuted on French and German TV on June 13, 2013. More info (in French) and a cast list can be seen at this page at the site of ARTE France, a partner in the multi-national production. Watch a trailer (in French) here or here. If you know of any DVD release or TV broadcasts in the US or UK, please let Steven know!

The 3-part BBC documentary series Mothers, Murderers and Mistresses: Empresses of Ancient Rome debuted in the UK on May 29, 2013, with presenter Catharine Edwards casting a gimlet eye on the notorious female rulers of Rome. Lindsey Davis is briefly interviewed in episode three (about the love of Vespasian and Caenis, the subject of her novel The Course of Honour). For more info on the series, including streaming options in the UK and a mini-essay by Edwards, go here. If you know of any DVD release or TV broadcasts in the US, please let Steven know!

Egypt’s Sunken City: A Legend Revealed premieres on the Arte channel in France and Germany on May 11, 2013. The documentary shows the rediscovery of the lost Egyptian city of Thonis/Heracleion, which became submerged in the Mediterranean Sea over a thousand years ago. French archaeologist Frank Goddio located the ruins in 2001 and has been exploring them ever since. See more info about the doc and about Heracleion at Goddio’s official site. If you know of any DVD release or TV broadcasts in the US or UK, please let Steven know!

The comedy series Plebs premiered on UK’s ITV on March 25, 2013; all six episodes of Season One came out on Region 2 DVD in the UK on April 29, 2013. From the press release: “Rome is traditionally imagined as the home of emperors and senators, generals and gladiators, a dignified theatre of pomp and ceremony. But what about the little guys, the wasters—new to the big city, stuck in office jobs, unable to get the girls? Plebs follows three desperate young men from the suburbs (Marcus, Stylax and their lazy slave with an attitude problem, Grumio) as they try to get laid, hold down jobs and climb the social ladder in the big city—a city that happens to be Ancient Rome.” Watch a couple of short trailers here and here; read more about the series here.

The mini-series BEN HUR, which aired in Canada in 2010, finally debuted on US television on Ovation on March 31, 2013, with US DVD release on April 30, 2013. Steven says: “While this version won’t take the place of the classic 1959 version in my imagination, it has its virtues, including a good cast and great locations, and in some ways it’s truer to the original Lew Wallace novel.” Seen here: Joseph Morgan in the title role and Miguel Angel Muñoz as Antegua in the galley scene.

The BBC documentary series Archaeology: A Secret History, with presenter Dr. Richard Miles, premiered in the UK on April 30, 2013. Among the revelations: Miles credits Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, with founding the discipline of archaeology when she dug up the cross and nails presumably used in the crucifixion of Jesus—but misses the obvious punch line that archaeologists have been making such inflated claims ever since. Unintentional comedy results from Miles’ uncanny resemblance to “Peep Show” comedian Robert Webb. More info on the series here. (Coincidentally, the BBC online archives now has a page of vintage archaeology programs, including Sir Mortimer Wheeler’s “The Grandeur That Was Rome” from 1960, streaming in the UK here.)

April, 2013 saw the premiere on BBC in the UK of the brief series The Flying Archaeologist, four episodes of 30 minutes each in which archaeologist Ben Robinson explored new insights into Britain’s past. One episode highlighted the first full aerial survey of Hadrian’s Wall, and the growing consensus on the ground that the area along the wall was more densely populated and full of activity than previously thought. More info on the series here.

August 16, 2013 will see the release of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, a sequel to 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, based on the second book in Rick Riordan’s super-popular YA series of novels about a modern-day son of Poseidon. This time out, Kronos is rising and demigod Percy (Logan Lerman) must go on a quest for the Golden Fleece, lost in the Bermuda Triangle. Watch a trailer here.

To whet our appetites for the humongous Pompeii exhibit opening March 28, 2013 at the British Museum, on March 27 the BBC aired the documentary Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time, in which Dr. Margaret Mountfort takes a closer look at those eerie plaster casts of the victims of Vesuvius. How exactly did they die, and why were their outlines, even including folds of clothing, so well preserved? The show is less about history and more about vulcanism and forensic science, though the filmmakers do recreate some Pompeian street scenes, as in this on-location shot. For more about the show, including broadcast dates and streaming info in the UK, go here.

In the two-part BBC documentary Ancient Egypt: Life & Death in the Valley of the Kings (which premiered March 22, 2013), Dr. Joan Fletcher examines the life, death, and afterlife of royal architect Kha and his wife Merit based on the contents of their tomb, which was discovered intact. Whether gazing at the burial artifacts (now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Turin) or strolling through the Valley of the Kings dressed in black and carrying her trademark black parasol, Fletcher makes an enthusiastic and engaging guide to the world (and afterworld) of the ancients who lived along the Nile. For more info, including clips and streaming and broadcast dates in the UK, go here.

Coming to a cinema near you on June 18, 2013 (but only in the UK): Pompeii Live from the British Museum, touted as the first live cinema event produced by a museum to coincide with a major exhibit, namely the British Museum’s big Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum running March 28 to September 29. But since this isn’t an opera or other performance, why a live broadcast? Perhaps to tempt the audience with the possibility of seeing stellar presenters like Mary Beard make an on-air goof? For more details and ticket info, go here.

Upcoming Fall 2013 from BBC: Atlantis, a new series from the folks who brought you Merlin. From the press release: “The city of Atlantis is a mysterious, ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake-haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants. It’s into this strange, compelling realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends re-imagined for a new generation in an action-packed 13-part series.” The cast will include Mark Addy, Juliet Stevenson, Sarah Parish, Jemima Rooper, Robert Emms, Aiysha Hart, and (presumably in the role of Jason) Jack Donnelly. Since there are as yet no production pix for the new Atlantis, as a placeholder Steven shares this vintage image from the 1961 movie Atlantis, the Lost Continent. Check back for more info as the series develops.

History Channel debuted the 10-hour dramatic mini-series The Bible on March 3, 2013, with DVD and Blu-ray release in April. No arid revisionism here; this show has more miracles than a month of Sundays. Action scenes include an angel with kung-fu moves, and there’s even a tie-in novel—for those too lazy to actually read The Bible? (More Bible movies are on the way; see items elsewhere on this page regarding film projects about Noah, Moses, and the Virgin Mary.)

Spartacus: War of the Damned, the third full season of the gripping gladiator saga, will also be the last, bringing down the curtain on the epic tale of the slave revolt against Rome. The season began on Starz TV on January 25, 2013. Says series creator Steven S. DeKnight: “Looking at the story in the history books, it’s wave after wave of Roman senators going after Spartacus who are defeated until [Roman general Marcus Crassus] comes in. There are only so many battles you can put a spin on. So let’s pick out the most interesting moments in this struggle and lay out a clear narrative for Spartacus and his rebellion.” Here’s a link to the official site.

Season One of the Spanish TV series Imperium released on Region 2 DVD on February 1, 2013 (Spanish-language only). Imperium is a spin-off of the three-season Spanish blockbuster Hispania la Leyenda; see previous items here and here. In Imperium, Roman officer Marco (played by Jésus Olmedo, above) is stripped of his command and forced to fight as a gladiator. Hmmm, does that plot sound familiar? If you know of any English-language broadcast or DVD release of either series, please let Steven know!)

On display through April 7, 2013 at the Musée Gallo-Romains in Lyon, France: Peplum, a major exhibit on ancient world cinema including film screenings, lectures, and special events. Visit the museum web site here.

One of the most popular sci-fi comedies ever is back for a tenth season‚ and a visit to the Ancient World. In the UK, Red Dwarf X premiered Oct. 4, 2012 on the UK digital channel Dave, but viewers in the US got their first chance to see the series when it releasd on DVD and Blu-ray on January 8, 2013. The third episode, “Lemons,” finds Lister and the crew sent back in time to Britain, AD 23—but before we see a single Druid or Roman soldier, they head for India in search of lemons (don’t ask), where they encounter…Jesus?

Odeya Rush will play the title role in the feature film Mary Mother of Christ. Peter O’Toole (as Symeon) and Ben Kingsley (as Herod) will lend star-power to the cast. Look for release in 2013.

Latest news on the new TV version of I, Claudius (based on the novel by Robert Graves) comes a story in the New York Times from November 23, 2012, which notes the HBO and BBC2 have “joined to remake the mini-series, probably for 2013, with the creative team that produced the HBO series Rome in charge. (Derek Jacobi catapulted to stardom as the stuttering emperor in the 1976 BBC miniseries; picture at right.) Got an update? Please let Steven know!

In Prisoners of the Sun, an archaeological expedition discovers a lost city beneath a pyramid and re-awakens the gods of ancient Egypt. This trailer went up in 2008. Director Roger Christian, who won an Oscar for Star Wars art direction and a nomination for Alien, says the film has been mired in legal problems despite interest by distributors. “It has huge production value; we shot some really great stuff and had a really good cast too.” This per a post at IMDb, which now shows a release date of 2013. If you have more info, please let Steven know!

III. In the Works • Rumored • On the Shelf:

The Northern Mist is a graphic novel/movie project from writer Patrick O'Brien and Cohort Pictures. In the misty north of England, Roman soldiers battle savage Britons and Picts, as well as an enemy they’ve never encountered before. The horror/action project joins other movies in the works with a supernatural theme set in Roman Briton, including Mortis Rex, Gladiators v. Werewolves, and Zombies vs. Gladiators (see items elsewhere on this page.) Illustration above: “Early stage pencil drawing of Legionnaire Dax. Doing what he does best.” You can keep abreast of progress at the project’s facebook page.

No, not a new movie…but probably soon to be one: Shadow Legion, a 4-part graphic novel from Amigo Comics in which Romans battle monsters, promised for 2013. It’s part of a Roman horror trend exemplified by movie projects like ZvG: Zombies vs. Gladiators (see items elsewhere on this page). Love the cover art by Enrique Lorenzana.

In 53 BC, the Roman army of Crassus was massacred by Parthian forces at the battle of Carrhae. In the 1940s, Oxford scholar Homer H. Dubs speculated that some of Crassus’s Roman soldiers were taken prisoner and eventually found themselves in the Gansu province of Han Dynasty China. From this intriguing material, scripter Kurt Johnstad is working on a movie project titled The Lost Legion for Warner Bros. (Johnstad was co-writer of 300 and its forthcoming sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, about which see the item elsewhere on this page.) The Lost Legion apparently has no connection to the 2005 novel Empire of Dragons by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (cover art above), which engaged in similar clash-of-cultures speculation. (Manfredi set his story in A.D. 260, with the capture of the Roman emperor Valerian by the Persians.) Did a “lost legion” of Romans really end up in China? Read a rather skeptical Wikipedia article about the question here. If you have updates on this project, please let Steven know!

With Bible movies all the rage these days, two big projects about Moses are in the works. Fox has one, with Ridley Scott in talks to direct, and Warner Bros. has another, with Steven Spielberg “circling,” as they say in Hollywood. What current actor could match the sheer screen presence of Charlton Heston in the campy but classic The Ten Commandments? If you have updates, please let Steven know!

Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra? Producer Scott Rudin (Oscar winner for No Country for Old Men) bought the screen rights to Pultizer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff”s bestseller Cleopatra: A Life and hinted at a movie project to be developed for and with Jolie. If it happens, expect release no earlier than 2014.

In development is The Redemption of Cain, based on the Bible story of the world’s first siblings. One of them is murdered…but it’s not much of a whodunit, is it? Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus; brothers were always killing each other in the Ancient World! Reports suggest that Will Smith may make his directorial debut with this movie. The poster art at left has mysteriously appeared at the film’s IMDb page; the cuneiform supposedly translates, “Call Your God,” and promises release in Summer 2015. If you have an update, please let Steven know!

From Variety: “After turning Homer’s epic poem The Iliad into the 2004 film Troy, Warner Bros. and Brad Pitt are teaming with director George Miller to adapt the Greek poet’s other masterwork, The Odyssey. Their intention is to transfer the tale to a futuristic setting in outer space.” There’s been zero buzz about this project for a while. Has it been shelved? If you have info, please let Steven know! (Photo: Brad Pitt as Achilles on the set of Troy.)

Another Brad Pitt rumor has him playing the Roman governor of Judea who sat in judgment on Jesus, taking the title role in Pontius Pilate. Read a description of the screenplay and an interview with writer Vera Blasi here. If you have more info, please let Steven know! (Photo by Sam Taylor-Wood)

Gianni Nunnari, producer of Alexander, 300, and Immortals, has more irons in the Ancient World fire. Along with the 300 sequel Rise of an Empire (see item elsewhere on this page), Nunnari is working on a movie about the young Julius Caesar based on Conn Iggulden’s Emperor novel series, and Odysseus, in development. The latter is not the Brad Pitt futuristic Oddysey project (see the item elsewhere on this page). Will it be a full-blown Ancient World epic? If you have updates on any of these projects, please let Steven know!

A couple of years ago the Web buzzed with news that Catherine Zeta-Jones would play Cleopatra in a 3-D musical, Cleo, to be directed by Steven Soderbergh. Although the story has been oft-filmed (most famously with the 1963 Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor in the title role), this Cleo would be Hollywood’s first musical based on the star-crossed lovers—and transposed to 1920s America, with songs by the group Guided by Voices. (No buzz about this project in a long time. Has it been shelved? If you have info, please let Steven know!)

For years, the grapevine buzzed about John Boorman’s ambition to film Marguerite Yourcenar’s classic novel Memoirs of Hadrian. The last round of rumors posited 007 star Daniel Craig as Hadrian; no word on who might play Antinous, the young lover deified by the emperor after drowning in the Nile. For the ultimate in Antinous worship, visit The Sacred Antinous. To see videos about Hadrian by the British Museum, click here. Got an update? Please let Steven know!

Young Alexander the Great, about the conqueror’s teenaged years (think “Alexander 90210”), stars Sam Heughan (right) as Alexander and Paul Telfer (of Hercules and Spartacus) as Hephaestion. This movie has been in the can since 2007. If you have more info, please let Steven know! Meanwhile, you can watch a rare German commercial featuring a young, sword-wielding Paul Telfer—see image at left—at this page. (You must be a registed adult at Dailymotion to view this video.)

Spanish auteur Julio Medem (Sex and Lucía) may direct Pericles and Aspasia, an English-language film based on one of antiquity’s great love stories, between the 50-year-old Pericles, ruler of Athens in its fifth century B.C. heyday, and the 24-year-old Aspasia, a free-thinking, sexually liberated beauty who was also a skilled rhetorician. There’s been zero buzz about this project for a while; if you have more info, please let Steven know! (And has anyone out there read the recent novel by Karen Essex about Aspasia, Stealing Athena?)

Coming down the chimney one of these years? Nicholas of Myra is about the original St. Nick. No, Virginia, not Santa Claus, but his ancient prototype who attended the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, shortly after Constantine the Great made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. This independent feature, clearly a labor of love, has been in production for years, with a lavish web site. But where is the movie? If you have any release info, please let Steven know!

Will there be a feature film follow-up to the TV series Rome? Executive producer and scripter Bruno Heller has such a project in development with the working title Bona Dea. The story broke here. Actor Kevin McKidd (Vorenus) affirmed that Heller was still working on the script as of late 2010.

Way back in March, 2009, the web buzzed with talk that Scarlett Johansson would star in The Amazon Warrior, the tale of a gladiatrix who exacts vengeance on the army that destroyed her homeland, circa 200 B.C., with a screenplay by the team of Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain (scripters for Outlander and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans). Since then, Scarlett grew up and became an Avenger! Got an update? Please let Steven know!

Vin Diesel long ago announced his intention to make his directorial debut and star as Hannibal the Conqueror, the Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with elephants to menace Rome, working from a script by Oscar-winner David Franzoni (Gladiator, King Arthur) based on the novel Hannibal by Ross Leckie. (Victor Mature played the role in the 1960 Hannibal, and Alexander Siddig starred in a 2006 BBC telemovie included as an extra in the DVD set Warriors.) Will Vin’s dream ever come to fruition? If you’ve got an update, please let Steven know!

When in Rome...check out 3D Rewind Rome, playing in a theater near the Colosseum. The 30-minute virtual-reality guided tour of the city circa A.D. 310 includes a walk through the teeming Subura, a forbidden peek at the Vestals in their temple, and a gladiator combat with the emperor Maxentius presiding.

For otherwise impossible-to-find DVDs, check out Maximus Media in Canada. Their historical catalogue includes The Last Roman (aka Struggle for Rome) from 1968, starring Orson Welles as Justinian; the uncut 9-hour version of the 1985 miniseries A.D.; and the 1972 Charlton Heston version of Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra.

Gertrude Stein Matisse Picasso SFMOMA modern art From the introduction to Seneca: Four Tragedies and Octavia, by E. F. Watling: Cicero, at the festival celebrating the opening of Rome’s first permanent theatre, complained of the pathetic performances of old-fashioned actors past their prime, and of the spectacular ostentation which had been imposed on the old tragedies: “Who wants to see six hundred mules in Clytaemnestra or three hundred goblets in The Trojan Horse, or a battle between fully equipped armies of horse and foot?” What would Cicero have made of 300?

From Achilles to Zeus: Stephen Moss, film writer for The Guardian, offers an A-Z guide to Ancient World movies. His spot-on entry for the letter S: “Slaves: Notable by their absence in films about Sparta, even though they were the bedrock of Spartan society. Presumably acknowledgment of Sparta’s large slave population would sit oddly with a portrayal of a heroic society that valued freedom...” Click here to read the entire alphabet.

•But wait—there’s more!•

•Steven’s International Online Ancient World Film Festival• Watch this collection of mini-movies right here, right now!

	Steven’s Wish List Will we ever see these legendary movies and TV shows?
	Where Are the Euro Movies? Movies and TV shows from England & Europe, never shown in the US.