Independence Day director Roland Emmerich is making a gladiatorial epic for Peacock

The director of Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and Moonfall is making a series for NBCUniversal. The book of the same name by Daniel Mannix was the inspiration for the movie Gladiator. Robert Rodat's previous works include Saving Private Ryan.

The first TV show was created by Emmerich. Although he directed Dark Horse, the director's career has been focused on the big screen, with a filmography full of summer blockbusters. It sounds like the aim is to keep the big screen feel. Here is how Peacock described it.

Those About to Die is a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex, and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. The series introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics, and business intersect and collide.

According to the president of scripted content at NBCUniversal, Those About to Die will feature chariot racing and gladiatorial battles. The budget for the series is around 140 million dollars and it's due to start production in Italy early next year.