Roland Emmerich was ‘totally surprised’ Anthony Hopkins was interested in his gladiator series

Independence Day director Roland Emmerich was shocked by Anthony Hopkins ’s interest in his new gladiator TV series.

Hopkins plays Vespasian, the last in the Year of the Four Emperors (69AD), in Emmerich’s new Peacock series, Those About to Die.

Speaking at a panel on Thursday (July 25) at San Diego Comic-Con, the director was asked what it was like pitching a TV series to the Welsh acting legend.

“We sent him the scripts and he literally said, ‘Yes.’ He was the first guy that we actually wrote to and I was totally surprised that he was that interested!” Emmerich said to laughs from the audience.

However, he added that the Silence of the Lambs star is a keen ancient historian, which may explain his interest in the role.

“When we were on the set, he knew so much about Rome and was such an intelligent man. Naturally, that [must have been why] he wanted to be in a series like that,” Emmerich said.

Jojo Macari ( Sex Education ), who plays Vespasian’s son Domitian in the series, then spoke about his intimidating first day acting across from the Oscar-winner.

“I can’t believe they put me in a room with him,” he said laughing. “You talk about bucket list experiences, that is a bloomin’ big one.

“My first day with Tony, I was standing there in my toga, sweating in a big way, like what the hell am I going to say with Anthony Hopkins.”

Macari said Hopkins arrived “surrounded by an entourage” who he then shrugged off to introduce himself: “Jojo? Tony, how’s it going?” Macaria claims Hopkins then gave him a fist bump and said “respect”, drawing more laughs from the panel attendees.

“He just had so much fun,” Macari added. “The big lesson about working with Anthony, because he’s a serious actor and a heavyweight, is that he’s having a great time all day, every day. He’s playing the whole time and he makes you feel great. It fills you with confidence doing a scene with him. Very, very good vibes.”

Those About to Die “explores a side of Rome never told before: the dirty business of entertaining the masses who crave blood and sport,” an official logline reads.

The cast also includes Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon as Tenax, Tom Hughes as Titus Flavianus, Sara Martins as Cala, Gabriella Pession as Antonia and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Viggo.

The series, inspired by the nonfiction book of the same name by Daniel P Mannix, is written by Robert Rodat, who was nominated for an Oscar for writing Saving Private Ryan .

In her three-star review of the show for The Independent , Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “Hopkins earns his pay cheque with a rather lacklustre performance as the sage Vespacian.”

“History nerds will find much to quibble with in the depiction of the Flavian dynasty. Ultimately, Those About to Die is not really for those people whose Roman Empire is the Roman Empire. It is for people who want the ancient world, where the stakes of sex and violence were far lower than the present day, to give licence to something primal, something carnal, in them. Emmerich doesn’t do subtle, and so Those About to Die is suitably, viscerally, bold.”

All 10 episodes of Those About to Die are out now on Peacock in the US and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.