Fans of the epic HBO series Rome (which was produced along with the BBC, but prematurely cancelled; despite glowing reviews and critical acclaim; due to its exceedingly high production costs) may now have cause to rejoice, as while Rome isn’t making a comeback anytime soon, HBO are once again teaming up with the BBC to make another epic series based in Ancient Rome.
Having already been adapted into an Emmy award-winning miniseries back in 1976, I Claudius will soon be remade by HBO and BBC2; into a 13 part miniseries that will focus more on the Robert Graves novels upon which the original series was based (rather than being a straight-up remake of the old series); and tell the story of a man named Claudis who effectively hid his brilliant intellect and cunning behind a stutter and a limp (ensuring he was never perceived as a threat), before becoming emperor of the Roman Empire in 41 A.D.
While some form of work on an I Claudis adaptation has been in development for sometime (with Inception’s Leonardo DiCaprio looking set to appear as Claudius, in a movie version of the tale, at one point), it was recently decided that the story was simply too big to be contained within a single film; leaving the door wide open for HBO and the BBC to create another epic series showcasing the power, politics, madness, murder, and backstabbing that filled the lives of the Roman ruling classes.
While there’s no confirmed writers, directors, or actors attached as yet, it’s highly likely that a strong level of talent will become attached, and as HBO have such a solid track record for producing not only original series (such as The Sopranos and Rome), but period dramas and adaptations (with Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, and Game of Thrones filling both those categories), I Claudius will likely be a show worth looking out for.
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
