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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is acquiring a pitch for an epic-sized telling of the story of general and Roman leader Gaius Julius Caesar that will be written by Chris Boal and directed by Jonathan Liebesman. The film will be produced by Basil Iwanyk and his Warner Bros-based Thunder Road banner. I’m told that it’s an original pitch that is not a biopic as much a Patton-like approach that covers the time in which Caesar was sent to Spain on a detail no one else wanted. There, he built the 10th Legion fighting force that would eventually march on Rome, overrun the forces of his close friend-turned-rival Pompey, and establish Caesar as the unrivaled ruler of the empire. The idea is to create a sweeping drama with a big movie star part, and the pitch came with some of the action scenes choreographed. The film would end with his coronation but leaves open the prospect of a second film that chronicled his trip to Egypt and eventual assassination. Iwanyk will produce with Liebesman, with David Gardner exec producing.
Liebesman, whose Battle: Los Angeles was just released on DVD, re-teams with Iwanyk just as they wrapped Clash of the Titans 2 for Warner Bros this week. The project comes from an idea that Liebesman and Iwanyk worked on with Boal while making the Clash sequel that stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson.
Boal is the brother of Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal, and he has become a writer with heat because of his play 23 Knives. That drama focuses on the autopsy of Caesar after he was done in by his colleagues on the floor of the Roman Senate. The play is unrelated to the movie, but clearly Boal has the Caesar story down cold. There have been numerous movies and miniseries based on segments of Caesar’s storied life, notably including the first season of the HBO series Rome. The other significant Caesar project in the works is one that William Broyles is scripting, based on Conn Iggulden’s novel trilogy that covered the formative years of Gaius Julius Caesar. CAA reps both Liebesman and Boal. Liebesman is managed by Principato-Young and Boal by Madhouse Entertainment.
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Jesus effing Christ, are you kidding me? Because we’re salivating for the millionth Caesar/Rome story?
Gladiator was awesome, Rome was f’ing great. it’s a period play that’s a direct reflection of the present day world we’re living in so it’s plenty relevant AND the advent of today’s cinematic SPFX is going to make it a visual orgasm. what’s the prob, bob? i’ll tell you the same thing i tell my kids: only boring people get bored.
Thanks, Mr. Personal Assistant. Aside from the fight sequences, Gladiator was a silly story. It was basically Spartacus in disguise. Rome wasn’t even that great and got canceled after the second season. It also focused too much on peripheral underling-type characters, and like many shows on TV today, fell into the habit of ramping up the nudity to try to keep the audience’s attention. Jonathan Liebesman is the wrong choice. Battle: Los Angeles was a mess and earned only $203 million at the box office. That’s hardly spectacular. What else has he directed? Some lame horror pics like Darkness Falls and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Chances are this Julius Caesar movie will suck.
The governorship of a province like Spain durring the Late Republic was a coveted post and sure to increase a Roman Governor’s personal wealth and power. Sounds like a great chapter in Caesar’s amazing career to bring to th big screen! Caesar sharpened his claws on the Spanish Tribes and the Tenth Legion founded in Spain would come to be his best before his 9 year governorship of the Roman Gallic Province and Illyrica when he “passified” all of modern France and Belgium with approx 40,000 men.
The new novel Imperator gives a fresh perspective on the life story of the man that would rise from the streets of Rome to the pinnacle of power and world domination. The reader witnesses the youth and adventures and young loves of a man whose very name would come to symbolize unrivaled power and become the coveted title every Roman Emperor to follow would assume, a man whose policy of Clemency toward his enemies would seal his fate on the “Ides of March”. Meet the Caesar you never knew!
Just a couple of corrections, The Thirteenth Crossed the Rubicon With Caesar and Caesar was never “coronated” because he was appointed Dictator by the Senate and the Republic would remain in existence till Octavian’s(Caesar’s heir and First Emperor) defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 27(?)bc
Somewhere one of the several Creators of the brilliant HBO Series “Rome”, John Milius, is spinning in his Gr…..ER…..Desk Chair!
Let me guess it’ll be shot on green-screen with lots of slo-mo.
23 Knives is amazing. Looking forward to this.
Warner Bros is as usual ahead of the curve, and smart to be working with Chris Boal. 23 Knives, was a great read/voice. Developing something with Chris myself. He is smart, classy and a total pro.
Good for Chris, for Warner Bros., for Liebesman and for Basil.
No to rain in another of this “history according to hollywood” parades, but Caesar was never sent to Spain because Spain, as such, didn’t exist until the 14th century. Before that, for centuries, different kingdoms existed in the iberian peninsula (The crown of aragon and catalonia, castille, etc…) In Roman times, the iberian peninsula was called Hispania, but was not the european nation we know now as Spain, in the same way that Rome was not Italy and Italy , as a nation, didn’t crystalize until many centuries later. I guess nobody here gives a shit about all this stuff, but hey, promoting ignorance on an industrial scale never hurt anybody. Certainly not Hollywood. Ave Caesar.
Richard, I commend you for your historical knowledge. I care deeply about history and am thrilled for any stories — factual or otherwise — examining one of the most compelling men of all time.
You’re not a lone historical wolf in Hollywood — we’re with you in solidarity.
Neeerrrddd!
Also, I don’t know how they do things on the Iberian peninsula, but here in Hollywood we write our own fucking history and we sure as shit don’t rain in any parades. We rain ON them, or we rein them in.
The play was absolutely fantastic! Go chris Boal, Jonathan, and Basil!
I’d rather see this than another movie with Seth Rogen playing a stoner man child!
“…But was not the European nation we know now as Spain, in the same way that Rome was not Italy and Italy , as a nation, didn’t crystalize until many centuries later.”
Is there anything to suggest that the writers of this article and the filmmakers didn’t already know that?
Yes, dear American. To begin with the sentence: “a biopic as much a Patton-like approach that covers the time in which Caesar was sent to Spain on a detail no one else wanted”. Spain, the word, the name, the concept, only exist after the 14th century. That is a simple fact. It would like saying The USA existed in the middle ages.
Don’t be a douche. It’s true that Spain didn’t exist, as it exists now, but Hispania existed (which covers almost ALL of modern day Spain and a little bit of France) and Lusitana existed (which covers almost ALL of modern day Portugal). That was Caesar’s first province as a Governor.
They teach that in American classics courses too, so I’m pretty sure the people involved here all know that.
The distinction is irrelevant and stupid. You’re just trying to cause trouble for trouble sake. Stop being a smart alek and do something constructive with your time.
13th!!!!
13th!!
Dud on arrival.
David Gardner is a G. He has helped guide Jonathan’s career since the beginning. Jonathan is lucky to have him in his life – as are we all.
Really? Is being associated with “Clash of the Titans” (even just the sequel) cache enough for an “epic” like this?
Will the Romans all speak with a British accent too, like Richard Burton in “Cleopatra”? Maybe they should just remake that too, and “Gone with the Wind” while they are at it. (sarcasm added)
So will we have Romans in Lorica Hamata or Lorica segmentata? And will this also cover the battles against the Helveti and the Various Celts and Ariovistus? And the crossing of the Rhine by building a bridge? An epic acomplishment at the time
Or will it only be Gergovia and Alesia and the Britisch expedition?
I just hope you will stick to as much historical fact as possible,otherwise it will be a complete wash out.
Julius Caesar had a fascinating life. Do not insert any fiction – his life story is incredible on its own merit. Hopefully the battle sciences will be at least as good as Gladiator and Alexander.
“battles”