Hollywood Romans -- New Feature Film about...

[AMELIANVS]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned 'Empire of Dragons' by Manfredi, which is exactly the story of the lost soldiers against Parthia notionally reaching China.

I considered it,but I was too lazy for mention it :wink:

[AMELIANVS]

Looks like Constantine might be getting a film now. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=36555. Im happy that there is still enough interest in the Romans to make these films, but lets hope they don't go too Hollywood!

"The screenplay apparently takes the death of Galerius, the previous Roman emperor..."well,from this line it seems like classical hollywood simplification of much more complex reality.

But of course I like the idea of movie about Constantine,only it should ideally have the highest budget possible and really capable creators who would be not ashamed of having some historical consultants on the set and seriously listen to what they advice.
But it can not be worse than the version from 1962...probably :wink:

[M. Demetrius]

Somehow, to me, at least, Brad Pitt doesn't look the least bit Roman. I see Pilatus as looking much more aloof and calculating than he does. But it doesn't matter what any of us think: Hollywood has its own way of doing things, regardless of the history or the wishes of the public. I just hope they get the Legionaries back to Damascus, and have the Auxilliary troops be the primary Romans in Jerusalem.

But any movie about Roman times can make good things happen for the hobby. I vote, "Yes!" by all means make a movie. Next, how about Julius Caesar conquers Gaul, a love story featuring -- :-o

[M. Demetrius]

Constantine might be getting a film...But it can not be worse than the version from 1962

Oh, yes it could! Woody Allen or John Goodman as Constantine...nuff said.

[Narukami]

Constantine might be getting a film...But it can not be worse than the version from 1962

Oh, yes it could! Woody Allen or John Goodman as Constantine...nuff said.

Actually ...

That casting has real possibilities to it. Hmmmm .... could be funny. (Goodman is no stranger to the ancient classics. He was very good as the Cyclops in O' Brother Where Art Thou.

As for the earlier film -- once Ancient Warfare Magazine has finished upgrading their web site there is a review of that film about Constantine on their site. I will link it here once it becomes available again.

:wink:

Narukami

[AMELIANVS]

Movie about the "Last Viking" Harald Hardrada and his service to Constantinople?Sounds too good to be truth:
http://www.slashfilm.com/leonardo-dicapr...ng-harald/

[Paul Elliott]

Honestly, I don't think any film maker goes that deep Nadeem, its not modern politics, it simply the god-awesome almost fantasy spectacle of the true life Persian Empire, almost too fabulous to be true. You don't need modern politics.

Ask anyone on the street, do they know Persia = Iran? I doubt it...

300 was pure fantasy, look at Ephialtes, but it was successful so, by the rule of Hollywood, Persians from now on will be represented like that. I dont think its political agenda, its what audiences expect 'because it was that way in 300'

Chances that if Iranians are in it, we'll be rhino-riding barbarianny almost naked Etruscan-speaking not even remotely accurate fantasy villains?

... I'd put it at around 94 %

:x :x :x

I reckon this film will have quite clear political under (or over) tones for the modern day.

[Kegluneq]

Constantine might be getting a film...But it can not be worse than the version from 1962

Oh, yes it could! Woody Allen or John Goodman as Constantine...nuff said.

Keanu Reeves as Constantine was bad enough!

[Amiculus]

Crassus had Gallic cavalry in his army, so you've got your Celts, and painting them blue is just a matter of course after that...

I've always been interested to see what kind of film this idea would make, although I always imagined it as a Western fish-out-of-water story, your basic "Shogun" scenario...too bad they can't get Richard Chamberlain to lead this legion, eh? :wink:

[Alanus]

I think this could be a GREAT movie, especially if written with a hang-on love story. Here's my suggestion for the ideal cast:

The Roman Side
Praefect: Michael Fassbender, an android from the future who has seriously studied Hollywood Roman films and knows the REAL historical facts.
Centurion: Channing Tatum, a woad-paited mute Kelt seal-person and former gladiator who rises in the ranks and gives orders by sign language.
The Rookie: Leonardo DiCaprio, a runaway Persian-Iranian who kneels to Mecca every four hours, even during battle and mess-call, until he meets a Shaolin Abbot (Jackie Chan) and switches to Buddhism.

The Chinese Side
Commander: Andy Lau in Three Kingdoms aged-makeup, a former shoe-maker and small-time relative of the Emperor who rises through the ranks because he knows how to cook bean sprouts correctly.
The Sargent: Tony Chung, a veteran of Sino-Korean wars who has lost an eye and wears a dragon-shaped golden patch and recites Confucius to his men just before battle.
The Rookie: Takeshi Kenashiro, a former student who failed to pass State exams but who looks real cute in Chinese soldier-clothes and even better when wearing a white diaper.

The Heroine
Ziyi Shang, who infiltrates the Roman cavalry while impersonating a young Italian and fights Takeshi Kenashiro sword-to-sword until he slashes her uniform to shreds and discovers she's a woman.

I suggest that, instead of horses, the film should use Bactrian camels for all cavalry scenes. We also need hundreds of war chariots. The film's ending? Ziyi and Takeshi sail down the Yellow River, past Red Cliff, and head out into the Pacific on their way to the west coast of California to establish Los Angles before the Spaniards get there. :whistle:

PS: If you like this plot-line, then read a copy of The Demon's Door Bolt and have an even bigger chuckle.

[Kegluneq]

^^^^-- :-D

I think it's always worth remembering that as bad as Hollywood history can be, video game stories can still be much, much worse. These are the character bios from the upcoming XBox One launch game, Ryse, set in Britain and Rome:

Marius – The hero of “Ryse: Son of Rome,” Marius is a young soldier with a strong sense of duty who is completely dedicated to Rome and her ideals. Initially eager to fight against Rome’s enemies and expand the Empire, he soon realizes that Rome is vulnerable to an even more insidious threat than the barbarians he faces on the battlefield. Ever loyal to Rome, he resolves to rid the Empire of her true enemies.

Vitallion – A wise and charismatic general who has served Rome for decades, Vitallion has fought in many campaigns and serves as a mentor to Marius. As events transpire he begins to wonder if duty has its limits, and whether self-restraint is always the correct course of action.

Nero – Nero, Emperor of Rome, struggles to maintain his grip on power. He promotes his two sons Commodus and Basillius to powerful positions, letting them take control of the rebellious province of Britannia. Nero feels threaten by all potential rivals and exacts ruthless retribution against anyone who crosses him.

Commodus and Basillius – As governor of Britannia, Nero’s eldest son, Commodus, sees himself as a god, and the people of Britannia as his subjects. His reign is characterized by brutal repression. Nero’s youngest son, Basillius, enjoys anything carnal or cruel. At the Colosseum he delights in watching gladiators kill each other, and lords over the terrified slaves he keeps in his harem in the bowels of the structure.

Boudica – The daughter of King Oswald, the ruler of the Britons. Strong and resilient, Boudica hates Rome, and with good reason: under Roman rule, her people are made to suffer horribly. When her father faces horrific retribution from a perceived insult, it galvanizes Boudica and she rallies her people to rise against their oppressors. Boudica is a principled woman and has the will to go to the ends of the world to save her people.

Oswald - Benevolent king of the Britons. He leads a rebellion against the tyrannical rule of Rome, but when the Romans brutally repress the rebels, Oswald submits to Roman dominance in hopes this will spare his people. His naivety leaves him vulnerable to the Romans.

Glott – Enigmatic leader of the Northern barbarians, rumored to be more beast than man. Very little is known about him except that he is fiercely independent and will make war on both the Romans and Oswald’s tribe.

The Spirit Gods - Immortal spirit, one who watches over humanity, guides Marius. She appears in mortal form, but radiates an otherworldly aura. Another – known in mortal form as Aquilo – seeks the destruction of Rome and allies himself with her enemies.

:dizzy:

[Narukami]

Good night!

The early preview screen shots from this game (shown at E3) looked pretty poor (from a historical standpoint) but these bios ... One can only shake their head.

Now, some will say, "Come on, it's a game not a history lesson."

Fair enough, so why then set the story in ancient Rome? Why not ancient Mars? Or ancient Hawai'i? If the history doesn't matter then it makes no difference. Dress them in faux Roman armor, arm them with RPG's and plop them down in a Hawaiian paradise.

These bios make The Last Legion look like the very epitome of historical fidelity,

Ah well ... Hollywood Romans Vs. Silicon Valley Barbarians.

:wink:

Narukami

[tiberius aemilius naso]

First image (and last for me) from the movie Pompeii, directed by Paul W S Anderson, the director of masterpieces like Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. With one of the guys of Game of Thrones.



Info here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/63781

There is no hope in Hollywood.

[Kegluneq]

First image (and last for me) from the movie Pompeii, directed by Paul W S Anderson, the director of masterpieces like Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. With one of the guys of Game of Thrones.

As gladiator costumes go it's not too bad - it's better than Maximus's costume in Gladiator, and more substantive looking than Kirk Douglas's kit.

Hopefully the film will be so-bad-it's-good. At least soldiers in seggy would be more appropriate than they are in (likely inspiration for this) Spartacus: Blood on the Sand.

[Robert Vermaat]

As gladiator costumes go it's not too bad - it's better than Maximus's costume in Gladiator, and more substantive looking than Kirk Douglas's kit.].

If by 'not too bad' you mean it's not made from purple plastic I agree - other than that it's once more back to Leather Fantasy times. Yeah, Gladiator was no feast of historical accuracy either, but with Spartacus inbetween I'd say let's not become positive when they get it 1% better. It's still awfully bad.