Rome HBO

Rome is an award-winning historical television drama about the transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

Based on both historically significant figures and fictional ones, the story revolves around two common men, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), Roman soldiers in Julius Caesar's army. The episodes chronicle the lives of family, friends, and foes in Lucius and Pullo's world as well as the lives of rich and powerful upper class Romans.

On December 1, 2008, Rome creator Bruno Hillner hinted in an interview that there is a movie adaptation of the series in development.EOnline: Is New GA Hottie Leaving Town? (December 1, 2008)

The first season spans an eight year period from 52 B.C. to 44 B.C. It depicts Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) at the end of the Gallic Wars taking over the Roman Senate, becoming the supreme ruler of Rome and eventually being assassinated on the Ides of March.

The second season spans a fourteen year period from 44 B.C. to 30 B.C. It depicts Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and Octavian (Simon Woods) struggling for control over Rome, Antony meeting Cleopatra, and Octavian's rise to power as the first Emperor of Rome, Augustus.

HBO and BBC agreed to produce the series for two seasons and a budget of $100 million USD. The show was filmed on the Cinecitta Studios in Rome, Italy. It is one of the most expensive television series ever produced and the 5-acre set is considered one of the largest free standing sets created for a production.