Long before HBO madeGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon, numerous studios approached author George R.R. Martin vying for the rights to adapt his A Song of Ice and Fire novel series.Martin refused many film offers, as a 2-hour film could never hope to capture the intricate story and varied characters of his novels. Some studios pitched a story focusing on one character, like Jon Snow (Kit Harington) or Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), but none captured the essence of the story. When approached byDavid BenioffandD.B. Weiss,who displayed an innate understanding of the source material, Martin finally considered selling the rights to adapt his works.One of the biggest factors contributing to his decision was HBOand the history of premium drama series that took the time to tell complex stories with mature themes.
In an interview withThe South Bank Show, Martin cited several different series that drew him towards HBO. “HBO was definitely the place to be, I mean,The Sopranos,Deadwood,Rome. You know, incredible shows, dark shows… shows with violence, shows with sexuality.” The 2006 showRomestands out among its peers as it bears a striking resemblance to Martin’s fantasy series. Despite its untimely cancellation,Romestill holds up as a solid historical dramaandundoubtedly laid the groundworkfor what would become their biggest show of all time.
What Is ‘Rome’ About?
Romefollows Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) through his campaign to disband the Roman Republic and form a new empire under his name. What makesRomestand out from other historical epics is its use of perspective, with most of thestory told through the eyes of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pollo (Ray Stevenson).Romeinterweaves the two characters through each major historical event and follows the lives of nobles and commoners alike. From the outset, viewers will find a strong resemblance betweenRomeandGame of Thrones. The 2006 series doesn’t shy away from graphic violence and explicit sexual imagery. Even characters like Gaius Octavian (Max Pirkis) and Octavia (Kerry Condon) echoCersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime Lannister(Nikolai Coster-Waldau), with their scandalous incestuous relationship.
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Series leadLucius Vorenus is reminiscent of Ned Stark(Sean Bean) — a complex man audiences can’t help but root for. Despite his strict adherence to honor, he is no exception to the standards of his era. Both characters are admirable but undeniably flawed. The Roman senate echoes the royal court at King’s Landing, a den of schemers who use devious political intrigue to further their ambition. HBO heavy-hitters likeThe SopranosandDeadwoodproved that audiences can engage with morally complex characters and controversial themes, provided they were set in familiar genres like Westerns or subjects like mafia crime. Nevertheless,Romedemonstrated that viewers could follow the same kind of storytelling in historical settings.
Game of Thronesfans will find a lot of familiar faces inRome, given so many of the leading actors went on to play characters in Martin’s fantasy series. Julius Caesar is played by none other than Ciarán Hinds, otherwise known as Mance Raydar in Westeros. Indira Varma traded in her role as Lucius’ estranged wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), for Oberyn Martell’s (Pedro Pascal) vengeful paramour, Ellaria Sand. Tobias Menzies plays both Brutus and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), respectively. Interestingly enough,forum postsfrom as far back as 2012 prove that manyGame of Thronesfans wantedRomeactors for the remaining lead roles, with one user accurately casting Indira Varma as Ellaria, and many fans demanding Kevin McKidd asJon Connington, a character from the books who was sadly cut from the show. A lot ofGame of Thronesonscreen talent established relationships with HBO duringRome, which put them in the crosshairs for future roles moving forward, soGame of Thronesowes some of its great casting to its 2006 predecessor. On top of on-camera talent, the series also shares a lot of behind-the-camera talent directorsJeremy Podeswa,Tim Van Patten, andAlik Sakharov(coincidentally the latter two directors also directed episodes ofThe Sopranos).
The Fall of ‘Rome
Despite its critical success,Romewas cancelled after two seasons. This decision wasprimarily due to budgetary restrictions. Period pieces are famously expensive in Hollywood, especially considering the resources required to recreate era-appropriate locations and costumes accurately. When looking back at the series in an interview withEntertainment Weekly,RomeshowrunnerBruno Hellerexplained howRomepaved the way forGame of Thrones’ success from a production standpoint. “They learned a lot from a business commercial sense, what not to do.Romewas the first show HBO shot out of the country with a large budget that was period. The mistakes we made are the mistakesGame of Throneslearned from. Many of the directors and producers are the same.“Game of Thronesproduction was a huge undertaking, shooting in multiple countries simultaneously, and it seems that withoutRome, HBO may not have known how to approach such a massive production.
Heller also noted thatRome’s shortcomings came from a lack of source material. WhileRomehad real-world history as a blueprint for its story,it didn’t have the same degree of detail as Martin’s novels. “One of the challenges from HBO’s point of view was Rome had a large and ambitious structure but we were making it up as we went along.” Ironically,Game of Thrones’ downfall occured when the showrunners abandoned the source material. By contrast,House of the Dragonfaces a similar problem asRome. While the spinoff adapts Martin’sFire & Bloodnovel, the book is an in-world historical account, unlikeGame of Throneswhere each chapter is told from a third-person perspective.House of the Dragonhas come underheavy criticism from fans and even Martin himselfsince the debut of its disappointing second season, where episodesdrastically diverge from the source materialand key characters have been cut from the story. So, while HBO seemed to take away some important lessons fromRome, perhaps it’s time for them to relearn some of them lest we witness another untimely cancellation. Despite its short-lived run,Romestill holds up as a compelling drama 17 years later and is undoubtedly still worth watching for anyone who is a fan of the Game of Thrones franchise.
Romeis available to stream on MAX in the U.S.
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Watch on MAX
