published on in blog

Sky Italia Orders Latin-Language Drama Romulus About the Origins of Rome

Sky is building its slate of originals in Italy with “Romulus,” a 10-part series about the origin of Rome from Cattleya, the Italian producer that makes “Gomorrah.” Non-English-language drama is in vogue, but “Romulus” takes that a step further by having the characters speak in archaic Latin.

Matteo Rovere, known for his movie work, is attached to direct his first TV series. His shingle, Groenlandia, will co-produce. “‘Romulus’ is a story about feelings, war, brotherhood, courage and fear,” he said. “It is a great, epic fresco, a highly realistic reconstruction of the events that led to the foundation of Rome. But above all it is an investigation into the origins and the profound meaning of power in the West: a journey into an archaic and frightening world, where everything is sacred and people feel the mysterious and hostile presence of the gods everywhere.”

Related Stories

The Hollywood sign with a hand coming out of the "O" holding a megaphone VIP+

Hollywood’s Next Superhero: Purpose-Led Branding  

L-R: Patrick Brammall as Gordon and Harriet Dyer as Ashley in Colin From Accounts season 2, episode 3 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. PHOTO CREDIT: Paramount+  

'Colin From Accounts' Stars on How That Messy Finale Wedding Proposal May or May Not Be Catastrophic

Rovere is familiar with the subject matter, having helmed the film “Romulus & Remus: The First King,” which scored international deals before having a market screening at Cannes. Michele Alhaique and Enrico Maria Artale will also direct installments of the 10-part TV series.

Popular on Variety

The cast includes Andrea Arcangeli (“Trust”), Marianna Fontana (“Indivisible”), and Francesco Di Napoli (“Piranhas”). The story will be told through three main characters, two men and a woman, who decide to shape their own destinies instead of passively suffering their fate.

Cattleya is owed by ITV, and international sales are being handled by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Filming starts in Rome in early June and will continue for 28 weeks in the Italian capital and its surroundings.

“’Romulus’ is an epic series in the true sense of the word, an international project featuring some of the youngest and outstanding Italian talents,” said Nicola Maccanico, EVP for programming at Sky Italia. “A project that has at its heart what is perhaps the most recognizable brand of our country, Rome, which is once again set to attract worldwide attention with a great story to tell – that of the founding of the Eternal City and its myth.”

Riccardo Tozzi, founding partner of Cattleya, added the team want to tell the story of  “the origin of Rome’s power, and the interrelationship among the main events that made it possible.”

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXKFjq2taKaVrMBwvs6mrKWto2K5osDIp2SsnaKesrR5zqugoKGeqHqwsoyrpqadXZy8rrvRq5ihZaOgxm6105qjopldnsG3eZBrZ2xqYmyEcn2O