Mark Wahlberg has been attached to produce THE ROMAN alongside Stephen Levinson. The film chronicles the early life of great Roman general Julius Caesar, who did later cross the Rubicon and trigger a civil war but did not invent the chicken salad.
Though Caesar’s activities as a young man are generally not common knowledge, his life was pretty darn dramatic. A key event, which will be covered by the film, involves pirates (no, they didn’t have parrots and peg legs). In this period of the Roman Republic there was such distress between generals Marius (not the singing chap from LES MIS) and Sulla that no one payed much attention to the emergence of a seemingly insignificant group of pirates from Cilicia. Unwatched, they grew in number and power and decided it would be a good idea to take Caesar hostage and demand ransom. He spent his time with them chatting, playing games, demanding that his ransom be higher to match his importance and threatening to horrifically kill them all. As you do. They laughed it off, but probably weren’t laughing when, after Caesar escaped, he returned and had them all executed. What a guy.
THE ROMAN’s script was written by Travis Baker and Richard Tanne. The producers have yet to choose a director. Who do you think should direct? And, more importantly, who should play Caesar? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: Deadline
