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When you think of a game like Baldur’s Gate 3, you might imagine it being influenced by other epic fantasy tales such as Lord of the Rings or classic RPGs like the previous Baldur’s Gate games.

Karlach, one of the best characters in the game, was instead inspired by a character from an HBO show. Titus Pullo from HBO’s cult classic, Rome, played by the late Ray Stevenson, was a big inspiration for her.

HBO’s Titus Pullo from Rome Was an Inspiration for Baldur’s Gate 3’s Karlach

Karlach is a fan-favorite character in Baldur’s Gate 3.

In an interview with The Escapist, the actor behind Karlach revealed more about her various sources of inspiration. Samantha Béart, who did an excellent job voicing and proving motion capture for Karlach, talked in length about the various challenges of the extensive sessions, as well as her previous roles and...

Winner of two Palme d’Ors, Francis Ford Coppola‘s makes a huge return to Cannes with a film that will not go unnoticed in Megalopolis. With the price tag of about 120 Sean Baker features, this Julius Caesar salad (forgive the pun) dishes out a lot of ideas with a mega cast of Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia Labeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, Isabelle Kusman, Bailey Ives, Madeleine Gardella, Balthazar Getty, Romy Mars, Haley Sims, Dustin Hoffman.

Gist: A project decades in the making, Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America.…...

Get ready for an intriguing journey into the mysteries of ancient Egypt with Season 5, Episode 4 of “Lost Treasures of Egypt,” airing on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 9:00 Pm on National Geographic. In this episode, archaeologists delve into the enigmatic world of Egypt’s last legendary Queen, Cleopatra.

As viewers are transported back in time, they’ll join a team of experts as they embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of Cleopatra’s reign and unravel the mysteries surrounding her life and legacy. From her fabled beauty to her legendary romance with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, Cleopatra remains one of history’s most captivating figures, and archaeologists are determined to shed new light on her story.

With the latest technology and cutting-edge techniques at their disposal, the team explores ancient ruins, hidden tombs, and archaeological sites in search of clues that will help piece together the puzzle of Cleopatra’s reign.

Brian Helgeland's canceled Cleopatra movie would have been a political thriller with elements of assassination and romance. Hollywood has struggled to produce a successful Cleopatra film since the costly 1963 version starring Elizabeth Taylor. Various directors and stars have been attached to different Cleopatra movie projects, but the fate of Helgeland's script remains uncertain.

Screenwriter Brian Helgeland reveals plot details for his canceled Cleopatra movie. The story of the Egyptian ruler has been adapted to the screen countless times, most famously (or infamously) in the 1963 Cleopatra film starring Elizabeth Taylor, which experienced a troubled production and lost the studio money. Helgeland, who won an Oscar for 1998's L.A. Confidential, started writing a new Cleopatra script around 2011 with Angelina Jolie set to play the Egyptian queen and David Fincher attached as director, though the project never got off the ground.

During a recent interview with Inverse, Helgeland opened up about...

Roughly translated from Latin, “Veni Vidi Vici,” means “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Usually attributed to Julius Caesar, the phrase reflects the casual brutality, cruelty, and avarice of the onetime Roman Republic and its successor, the Roman Empire. It also implies that non-Romans existed solely to be conquered, their individual and collective fates determined not by their allegiance to Rome and its emperors, but by their conquerors' arbitrary and capricious whims. To live under Roman rule as a subject and not a citizen was to live — and often die — in abject fear of a premature demise. That sense of power, privilege, and entitlement, of ownership over the bodies, hearts, and minds of the non-ruling classes permeates Austrian filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Julia...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Veni, vidi, vici: “I came, I saw, I conquered,” reportedly said Julius Caesar after an especially swift victory. Now, his words echo in Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann’s satire about a family so powerful it can get away with murder. Literally.

“Imagine you are above the law. You can do anything. It’s frustrating, because sometimes you want the world to wake up and yet nothing happens. It’s really funny and really sad,” Hoesl tells Variety.

“These people want to be stopped. They leave all these traces, so why does no one speak up? There is more than one Jeffrey Epstein out there.”

Premiering at Sundance and Rotterdam – and produced by Ulrich Seidl for Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion, with Magnify handling sales – “Veni Vidi Vici” takes a closer look at the Maynard clan where “family is everything,” but human life means nothing.

“Our main character always wins. It...

Haydn Gwynne, a stage and screen actor who starred in royal comedy “The Windsors” and also appeared in “The Crown,” died on Friday of cancer, Variety has confirmed. She was 66.

“It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends,” her agent said in a statement. “We would like to thank the staff and teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their wonderful care over the last few weeks.”

Gwynne made her TV breakthrough in the late 1980s with the drama “Nice Work” before going on to star in other British series including “Peak Practice,” “Merseybeat” and BBC series “Rome” as Julius Caesar’s wife Calpurnia.

But it was her role as cynical journalist...

Panera Bread is the latest restaurant chain to latch onto a trendy TikTok meme. It has unveiled its “Roman Empire menu,” which is filled with items its customers “just can’t stop thinking about.”

The Roman Empire meme took off on TikTok after a historical reenactor named Gaius Flavius contended that men think about Ancient Rome more often than the women in their lives might think. A wave of male answers to the question “how often do you think about the Roman Empire?” soon followed. The #romanempire hashtag on TikTok has received more than 1.5 billion views in all.

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A post shared by Gaius Flavius (@gaiusflavius)

The meme seems to be running its course on TikTok, but Panera is keeping it in the spotlight. The delivery-only Roman Empire menu features a Caesar salad (naturally) as well as fan-favorite items like mac and cheese and the cinnamon crunch bagel.

Warning: This article contains Major Spoilers for Futurama season 11, episode 10.

"Veni, sedi, vidi" translates to "I came, I sat, I saw" and connects to the simulated universe storyline in the Futurama season 11 finale, creating a meta-joke. The altered version of the Latin phrase used as the subtitle refers to the viewers at home who came, sat, and saw the ups and downs of the episode's plot. The meta joke ties into the simulation plot of the episode, too, affirming the idea that the world of Futurama, and potentially the human world, is just a simulation, evoking existential dread.

Futurama season 11, episode 10 includes the subtitle "Veni, sedi, vidi" on the title card, leaving viewers to wonder about the meaning behind the Latin phrase. The adult cartoon, Futurama, follows Philip J. Fry and his buddies Professor Farnsworth, Bender, and Leela as they navigate the misadventures of the 31st century. Despite its popularity,...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 4, "Something Borrowed, Something Green."

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" continues its love affair with author Mark Twain, using him as a unique approach to a domestic dispute. The franchise has always had a fascination with writers, from Twain to Shakespeare, making regular references in different series. Twain's visit to the USS Enterprise-d in "Time's Arrow" showcased a special fondness for the American author in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 4, "Something Borrowed, Something Green" has continued Star Trek's love affair with its favorite author, Mark Twain. While the rest of the Lower Deckers head to Orion for a wedding, new roommates Lieutenants Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) conceive a unique approach to a domestic dispute. Heading to the Holodeck, they both assume the role of American author Mark Twain, allowing them to...

warning: contains (potential historical) spoilers for Domina seasons 1 & 2

Ancient history is a gift to screenwriters, because you can make up most of what’s going on and still claim to be completely historically accurate. Domina takes full advantage of that to produce what might be the most historically accurate period drama ever made, even though it might not bear any resemblance to the actual lives of the actual people portrayed.

Making a TV show about the ancient Roman Empress Livia is not like making a show about, say, Winston Churchill. If you’re writing a screenplay about Churchill, you’ve got access to letters, calendars, portraits, photographs, recordings, diaries, newspaper reports, memoirs… the list goes on and on. That means you have loads of material to use and adapt for your film or TV show, but it also means it is impossible to be completely historically accurate, because you will...

Everyone knows the problem: there’s too much really good TV these days, and not enough time to watch it all. But if you’re a fan of gripping, adult drama that follows twisted, complicated relationships with high stakes, it’s well worth putting aside a few hours of your time to watch Sky Atlantic’s Domina.

Domina is the story of Livia Drusilla, the wife of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. The historical Livia is a truly fascinating character. Her father fought and died with the assassins of Julius Caesar, she endured a siege with a toddler, then she ended up married for 50 years to the man whose army was on the attacking side in both cases. She had more power and influence than any other woman in Roman history and worked together with Augustus to help him rule, but his reign was peppered with the untimely deaths of multiple family members,...

The upcoming Broadway production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Appropriate starring Sarah Paulson will also feature Corey Stoll, Natalie Gold (Succession) and Alyssa Emily Marvin (Broadway’s Grey House), producers announced today.

The play, as part of Second Stage Theater’s 45th anniversary season, begins previews Wednesday, November 29 and officially opens on Monday, December 18, at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater.

The darkly comic Appropriate will mark the Broadway debut for playwright Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Lila Neugebauer directs.

Stoll’s New York theater credits include Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, A View from the Bridge and Intimate Apparel. Gold most recently portrayed Rava Roy in HBO’s Succession, and Marvin recently made her Broadway debut originating the role of A1656 in Levi Holloway’s Grey House.

Complete casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

The official synopsis for Appropriate: “It’s summer, the cicadas are singing,...

Putting the blackened, flash-frozen heart of Chile’s undead past into a blender, blitzing it to a lumpen pulp and guzzling down the result with grimly comic relish, Pablo Larraín, after his Hollywood forays with “Spencer” and “Jackie,” returns to his home turf and finds it bleeding out from a mysterious two-hole puncture on its neck. “El Conde” — the Chilean director’s uncategorizably bizarre riff on vampire mythos, cronyist corruption and the more mundane horror that is a squabbling family divvying up their patriarchal inheritance while the patriarch is still around — coils itself around an inventively nasty literalization of the idea that the evil that men does lives after them. Those words, spoken over Caesar’s body in “Julius Caesar,” sparked a war that ended a republic. With his iteration, Larraín aims to do his part in delivering a republic instead, bringing his elegantly foul exercise in gallows humor to bear,...

MGM+’s new series about King Arthur, The Winter King, is based on a trilogy of novels by well known historical novelist Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe books. Cornwell’s historical fiction is always well-researched. But just how “historical” is King Arthur in the first place?

People have been telling stories about King Arthur for centuries, but historians aren’t even sure if anyone by that name ever existed. Even the earliest stories were told centuries after Arthur would have lived, if he were real. On top of that, of course, there are quite a few elements of those stories that seem… unlikely. Women sticking their hands out of lakes holding swords, that sort of thing. Some dragons. But there are elements of truth to some of the stories, and the historical setting of them is real enough.

The Setting: Post-Roman Rule Political Chaos

Stories about King Arthur usually...

Domina is a British-Italian historical drama series created by Simon Burke. The drama series follows the story of Livia Drusilla (Kasia Smutniak) in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, and her rise to power after she becomes the wife of Emperor Augustus’ wife. So, if you loved Domina here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Troy: Fall Of A City (Netflix) Credit – BBC One

Synopsis: An epic story of love and war, intrigue and betrayal. When Helen and Paris fall in love, they trigger a chain of events that threatens their families and the city of Troy. The myths surrounding the Trojan War are over 3,000 years old but have emotional depths and timeless themes of identity, love, revenge and belonging. Troy: Fall of a City grounds these primal myths in vivid psychological truth and explores the universal questions of human existence- how people battle to retain their...

Gal Gadot aims to bring a fresh perspective to the iconic role of Cleopatra, highlighting the brilliance and lesser-known aspects of the Egyptian queen's life and empire. The development of the Cleopatra film has faced challenges, including a change in directors and setbacks due to the writers' and actors' strikes. Gadot expresses support for the writers during the strikes and hopes for a fair resolution that benefits everyone involved, highlighting the importance of change in the industry.

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot doesn’t shy away from an acting challenge. It's true, the Heart of Stone lead will forever be synonymous with the role of DC icon Wonder Woman, but she also plans to tackle one of the most famous historical figures of all time: Cleopatra. And Gadot has lofty expectations for her film’s version of the Queen of Egypt.

Gadot said in an interview with Flaunt:

“Cleopatra...

Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot revealed the reason why her highly-anticipated Cleopatra movie has been taking long to develop.

After nearly three years since the Cleopatra remake was first announced in October 2020, Gadot is finally opening up about the long-in-development project. Speaking with Flaunt, the Israeli actor acknowledged that it’s a big responsibility adapting the iconic Egyptian queen’s story, confirming that they’re taking their time working on the script. "It's a big task," she said. "I don't want to [rush] making it— it's something that needs...so much thought and care because it's Cleopatra. We have incredible writers working on the script—before and after the writer's strike—like Laeta Kalogridis. It's a beautiful script. We're not rushing ourselves because you have to be responsible when you deal with such an incredible, iconic, legendary woman."

Related: Gal Gadot Praises Fast & Furious Franchise's 'Global Diversity'

Gadot also expressed her vision for the project,...

MGM+’s “Domina” actress Joelle goes by one name like Madonna and Cher. She steps back in time this season and into a Roman world, post Julius Caesar as Tiberius’ wife Vipsania.

In the series, Joelle worked with the hair and makeup team to create a look fitting for the show’s themes, death, manipulation and a battle for control over the city.

Through her looks, a story was being reflected.

Speaking with Variety, Joelle, who has appeared in “Dune” and “The School for Good and Evil” says, “In the beginning, Vipsania is at her most innocent, she’s young and in love and hair department head Claudia Catini chose a playful golden red wig for the first three episodes.” Together they collaborated on her evolving look and most importantly how to incorporate the actor’s natural look (the actor was diagnosed with alopecia universalis at the age of 8 and...

Los Angeles, Aug 5 (Ians) Actor Mark Margolis, who is known for ‘Scarface’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ has passed away at the age of 83.

The actor’s wife and son were by his side at the time.

Tributes have been pouring in for the late star, who appeared in some of the biggest films and TV series over recent decades, reports Mirror.co.uk.

Paying tribute to Mark, Robert Kolker, his manager since 2007, said: “He was one of a kind. We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”

Mark is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Margolis, his son Morgan Margolis and his three grandchildren, Ben, Aiden and Henry Margolis.

As per Mirror.co.uk, the family plans to host a private funeral and memorial and as requesting donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of flowers.

Mark Margolis, a veteran actor with hundreds of credits dating back to the 1970s but perhaps best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayal of cartel don Hector “Tio” Salamanca on TV’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City following a short illness. He was 83.

His death was announced by son Morgan Margolis, the CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment. Morgan Margolis said he and Mark’s wife Jacqueline were at his bedside at the time of death.

“He was one of a kind,” said manager Robert Kolker of Red Letter Entertainment. “We won’t see his likes again. He was a treasured client and a lifelong friend. I was lucky to know him.”

Born on November 26, 1939 in Philadelphia, Margolis briefly attended Temple University before moving to New York City to study acting, first under Stella Adler at the Actors Studio and subsequently...

Drake and London rapper Central Cee delivered stellar On The Radar freestyle performances released on Friday.

Hosted by Power 105.1 radio personality and journalist Gabe P, the New York-based platform is known for featuring freestyles by local drill rappers. Drake stopped by On the Radar Radio for his It’s All a Blur Tour and took the mic first, whilst dropping notable comparisons.

“But we know some demon guys with jealous and evil eyes/ You know that’s how Jesus died, you know that’s how Julius Caesar died/ I bet...

Jd Pardo as Ez Reyes in ‘Mayans M.C.’ season 5 episode 10 (Photo Cr: Prashant Gupta/FX)

FX’s Mayans M.C. season five episode 10 – the series finale – is, hands down, the best episode of the entire series. Amid all the blood and deaths, questions are answered, and dues are stamped paid. Not every character deserves their fate, but every death is, in its own way, justified.

Sons of Anarchy was Hamlet with motorcycles. Mayans M.C. is also a Shakespearean tragedy, complete with betrayals, love, loyalty, and murder.

Season five episode 10, “Slow to Bleed Fair Son,” begins with confirmation that Felipe has died. His funeral is the opening scene, with Angel (Clayton Cardenas) holding Maverick and Ez (Jd Pardo) solemnly staring straight ahead as “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord” is sung.

Sadly, the service has very few people other than Mayans in attendance. When the song ends, Angel and Ez...

After Transformers: Rise of the Beasts confirmed that G.I. Joe was set in the same universe, there has been much speculation as to which G.I. Joe characters should appear in the live-action crossover should it ever happen. G.I. Joe has three live-action movies to date, and while it has introduced some critical characters from the franchise, there are plenty of great characters and fan-favorites who have yet to be included, and plenty of moments to look forward to in the G.I. Joe Transformers crossover universe. The crossover film with Transformers provides a perfect opportunity for the franchise to bring in some new faces and give fans the characters they crave.

G.I. Joe has an enormous catalog of characters from the comics, action figures, and animated installments. There is such a huge variety to choose from that it's unlikely all of these eight characters will be included. However, it's very...

Though franchises dominate nearly every corner of the entertainment industry, they are not invincible. Even the biggest franchises can only survive and thrive for so long. While time is ultimately most franchises’ biggest enemy, there have been times when once-mighty series have been toppled by an entry so bad that they not only sunk the future of those franchises but called into question the validity of their pasts. Many gamers are all-too-familiar with such titles.

In an industry where long development times and massive production budgets inherently put a lot of pressure on many new releases, a failed entry into a major gaming franchise can do a lot of damage. From bad reviews and poor sales to…well, honestly, a lot of games that suffered from both, these are 15 games that ruined once-great franchises.

15. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

Like the death of Julius Caesar, the fall of the mighty...

Over the decades, viewers have enjoyed many historical-fiction shows, as it is not just a great way to learn about the subject matter, but the indulgence factor works well in such shows. There is drama, treachery, lust, love, killing, and, most of all, historical accuracy as well. Vikings, Marco Polo, The Tudors, Reign, Downton Abbey, Versailles, and Barbarians are some examples of popular television shows in the historical fiction genre, and all of them have one thing in common: a focus on the politics and the drama of the era. Domina, created and written by Simon Burke for Sky Atlantic (UK and Italy), is about the infamous Roman Empire, which in its early turbulent period was ruled by Augustus Caesar and his wife Livia Drusilla, the protagonist of this show. The power of this woman made sure she and her husband would remain undefeated for a long time.

For your context,...

Epix launched in 2009, home to theatrically released movies, original TV shows, and documentaries, with some of the best shows on Epix as the best on television. The television network was owned by MGM, which meant it was also at the whim of whoever happened to own the famed studio at the time. The service became a part of the a-la-carte world, where people had to subscribe to Epix, similar to networks like Starz. After Amazon bought MGM from Lionsgate and Paramount in 2017, the network changed into MGM+ in 2023.

Regardless of who owned Epix, the network released some of the best-reviewed TV shows in recent years. This included a show set inside the DC Universe, with Alfred's longtime companion Alfred Pennyworth headlining his own show. The network also lured in major stars to work on and help create some of the best shows on Epix, including names like Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley,...

Actors play a lot of roles, but it is rare for the same actor to play the same character in two entirely different movies. However, it is incredibly fun when this does happen, as it allows an actor to show what a character would act like under different direction and in different circumstances as part of a different story. Sometimes actors reprise roles for cameos, and other times actors again fill the main role in a different film. Either way, an actor playing the same role in an entirely different movie is always interesting, and here are the 10 best examples of this occurring.

Even when utilizing the same historical figure, movies sometimes use a different actor in order to differentiate themselves from predecessors. However, sometimes an actor is so good in a role that they just have to be used again, with them returning for entirely different films. Other times,...

Paramount Pictures "Cleopatra", starring Gal Gadot, is being directed by Patty Jenkins ("Wonder Woman") in a new period biographical drama scripted by Laeta Kalogridis, produced by Atlas Entertainment's Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot and Pilot Wave Motion Pictures' Jaron Varsano:

"...'Cleopatra' is the daughter of 'Ptolemy', an ancestor of the leader of the army of 'Alexander the Great'...

"...who became the lover of Rome's 'Julius Caesar' and 'Marc Antony', and a powerful political leader in her own right, before killing herself." 

Elizabeth Taylor starred as "Cleopatra" in a 1963 feature.

Click the images to enlarge...

In the very early days of prestige television, a series appeared (some say it began the prestige era) that gave us a glimpse of what the future would hold. That series was "Rome," the story of the rise and fall of Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) and the romance and death of Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal). The series was gorgeous and full of rich historical detail, and the performances were spectacular. 

The series, which ran from 2005-2007, came to us from John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller. It nabbed talented actors like Hinds, Purefoy, Marshal, Lindsay Duncan, Polly Walker, Tobias Menzies, Kevin McKidd, and the late Ray Stevenson. It won a Director's Guild award, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, and quite a number of others. 

The sets were stunning and actually existed in the world, in the historic Cinecittà Studios, right in Rome, from the Forum...

Thirteen! In incredibly sad news today, actor Ray Stevenson has suddenly passed away at the age of 58. With noteworthy performances in "Thor," "Rrr," and "Vikings," Stevenson may be best known for his breakout role in HBO's swords and sandals epic television series, "Rome." In a time before George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" took to the skies to become the network's flagship series, "Rome" was one of the most ambitious shows on primetime when it premiered back in 2005. 

Lasting just two seasons, "Rome" centered around the relationship between two Roman soldiers in the 13th legion of Julius Caesar's army: the steadfast Lucius Vorenus played by Kevin McKidd and the brash, unpredictable Titus Pullo played by Stevenson. Due to its enormous cost, "Rome" came to an abrupt end, but not before amassing a core group of dedicated fans who fell in love with Stevenson's roguish performance as Pullo. Arguably,...

Guillaume Canet’s 2023 adventure comedy Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is a movie that feels like a breath of fresh air amidst all the tension, drama, and sadness that the film industry has been releasing of late. Based on the world-famous Asterix comics by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the latest live-action movie stars some of the biggest names in French cinema, including Guillaume Canet, who plays Asterix; Vincent Cassel as Julius Caesar; and Marion Cotillard as Queen Cleopatra, among others. With an exciting adventure and an entertaining group of people, our heroes Asterix and Obelix go through a series of emotions on this journey as they try to save the day. Read on to learn more about this wholesome and light-hearted movie that’ll surely keep you entertained.

Spoilers Ahead

The Princess

It’s been a while since we, the audience, got to see a proper comedy movie...

There are millions of us who remember the joy of getting a fresh comic of Asterix and Obelix in our hands and diving into the world of rowdy, boisterous Gauls, scheming Romans, magic potions, and a whole lot of fun. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s masterpiece, the Asterix and Obelix series, gets a live-action adaptation of “The Middle Kingdom” comic, and it’s every bit as fun as you’d expect it to be. Guillaume Canet brings us the live-action representation of this joy with his latest adventure comedy, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom. With fabulous actors, jaw-dropping scenery, amazing representation of various cultures, and side-splitting humor, this movie is all you need for a happy weekend.

In the barricaded little town of Armorica inside Gaul, where our heroes Asterix and Obelix spend their days hunting boars and thumping Roman soldiers, a mysterious carriage driver brings in treasure from a land far away.

Gene Roddenberry’s vision of space-age utopia has always been one of idealism and intelligence, of peace and prosperity. From the start, he wanted Star Trek to showcase the best of humanity, confronting modern-day issues and appearing as an aspirational model for society. So, naturally, when it came time to hurl us 300 years into the future, he did it by building on stories from 400 years in the past.

Having cut his teeth writing on early Westerns and police procedurals, Roddenberry wanted to elevate his sci-fi weekly into something more than typical genre television – he wanted to appeal to intellectuals. And how better to appeal to the thinking person than with a library’s worth of bookish influences.

Classic literature was right there in Roddenberry’s original pitch: Captain Kirk was described as a Horatio Hornblower-type, while the show itself was referred to as Gulliver’s Travels in space. His sequel series,...

Netflix's ​​​​​​Queen Cleopatra has become somewhat controversial for its interpretation of historical events. Queen Cleopatra uses a combination of dramatized reenactments and interviews with experts to tell the story of Cleopatra's life and rule. This docu-series seems to have trouble reconciling the realties of the world more than 2000 years ago with modern ideas of virtue, morality, and social structure that simply did not exist at this point in history.

Netflix's Queen Cleopatra is largely accurate in terms of broad historical facts, such as Cleopatra's relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony or the actual wars and conflicts that occurred throughout her reign. However, this docu-series isn't completely faithful to history. A handful of liberties were taken by Queen Cleopatra in regards to what's known about her life and the various decisions she made. The direction taken by the series resulted in five glaring inaccuracies and omissions in Queen Cleopatra.

The Boys season 3 cast and character guide helps show how special the series is. More than a year and a half after the season 2 finale, The Boys returned to Prime Video for season 3, with season 4 now on the way. The series, created by Eric Kripke and adapted from the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, picked up a year after the explosive events of season 2 and its cast was better and bigger than ever. With the Deep cast back into The Seven, The Boys season 3 saw quite the upheaval in many regards and also showcased more supes than previously seen on the show.

The Boys season 2 left the characters in precarious situations, though it seemed like things were getting better. Stormfront was no longer a threat after Ryan dispatched her with his powers. Butcher joined Grace Mallory's task force, and Hughie teamed up with Congresswoman Victoria Neuman in...

Netflix's Queen Cleopatra depicts the iconic Egyptian queen as Black, reigniting the controversy over the race of one of antiquity's most renowned rulers. The 4-part miniseries details Cleopatra's rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, beginning with her father's death in 51 BC. Cleopatra oversaw the final 21 years of the Ptolemaic Kingdom's existence, which began with Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great's most important generals, and ended with Egypt being absorbed by the insatiable Roman Empire.

Queen Cleopatra is remembered, among other things, for her lengthy reign and her powerful influence on Roman politics, which dominated the Mediterranean world at that point in history. She also had relationships with two of the Roman Empire's most powerful and influential figures, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, and eventually married and had three children with Marc Antony. Cleopatra's race has been a point of contention for years now, with the...

If you enjoyed Netflix’s docudrama Queen Cleopatra, you might be in the mood for a fully fictionalised dramatization of Cleopatra’s story, or for something else set around the same time period and following some of the same people. If so, we have got you covered!

We’ve given each of these series an “accuracy rating” to indicate how near or far they are to reality, but these should be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt, as a general guideline only. Real life ancient history’s relationship to TV and film versions of it is pretty much the same as the relationship between George Rr Martin’s Fire and Blood and the TV adaptation House of the Dragon. Fire and Blood is a pretend history, and it provides several different versions of events from different sources, with little to no indication which one is the “truth.

The Netflix original series Queen Cleopatra chronicles the life of its titular subject, Cleopatra VII of Egypt, and its popularity has viewers wondering whether there will be a Queen Cleopatra season 2. Released in May 2023, Queen Cleopatra is a docudrama miniseries, in which the life, rule, and influence of Cleopatra VII are discussed and depicted over the course of four episodes. The format of the show mixes dramatic portrayals — fictionalized scripted reenactments with actors in the roles of Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Julius Caesar, Augustine, and others — and talking-head interviews with historians and other academics with expertise on the iconic figure and the events of her reign.

Queen Cleopatra was executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, who also narrates the series, as the second installment of her African Queens franchise. Like the first installment, African Queens: Njinga, Queen Cleopatra is also directed by Tina Gharavi. While the prior series, which debuted in...

NewsCleopatra, queen of Egypt in the years 51-30 BC, is back in the news thanks to a controversial docudrama series on Netflix called Queen Cleopatra. Much debate has raged about her ethnicity.The ConversationCleopatra, queen of Egypt in the years 51-30 BC, is back in the news thanks to a controversial docudrama series on Netflix called Queen Cleopatra. Much debate has raged about her ethnicity. The queen was of Greek ancestry. In the Netflix series she’s played by a black actress. The fuss has provided an opportunity to look at her role in history and how she has been portrayed over time. Historian Toby Wilkinson is an Egyptologist and author of the award-winning book The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra. We asked him to shed some light on the past. Who was Cleopatra and why is she so important?...

Episode two of Queen Cleopatra ended with Mark Antony making his entry into Cleopatra’s life after executing her sister Arsinoe. Arsinoe was charged with sheltering the assassins who had murdered Julius Caesar. It was only fitting to get rid of her. With her last sibling gone, Queen Cleopatra, who is essentially Pharaoh, has the full power to rule Egypt as per her wishes. The episode also had Cleopatra visiting Rome with her child with Julius Caesar, Caesarion, whom she had hoped would get public recognition as his son. Unfortunately for her, Caesar was murdered by his people, and she was forced to flee Rome to save herself and her child. What would happen with Mark Antony now in Alexandria?

Mark Antony has been in Alexandria for quite some time. The expert chipped in that he was finding it comfortable around here, now with the power of the eastern side...

Episode one ends with Queen Cleopatra getting rid of her husband-brother, Ptolemy Xiii, and his advisor Pothinus, by killing them, and her sister being made captive by Julius Caesar, who took her back to Rome to put her behind bars. Cleopatra is now pregnant with Julius’s child, and she considers it good news. Meanwhile, she is on the verge of becoming an influential leader, and her affair with Julius Caesar, which resulted in pregnancy, would be the beginning of the merger between two ancient empires.

Cleopatra gives birth to a baby boy, and with the birth of a child, she cements her power over the Roman Empire as well as gives Julius an heir. She is sure Julius would consider her child one of his many heirs. The child Caesarion is a symbol of the bringing together of two powers, which are the Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The legend of Queen Cleopatra has been immortalized by the Shakespeare tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. Though the story only focused on her beauty and the torrid love the two of them shared, there was more to Queen Cleopatra than being led on. She was an astute politician and a great strategist and diplomat. She has always been reduced to a thing of beauty thanks to Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of her, and because of this, for a long time, the world had a face for the most beautiful queen of the ancient world. But was the woman white? And what exactly is the history of the legendary queen?

The Netflix Original mini-series begins with experts talking about how Cleopatra was misrepresented by Hollywood by showcasing her as a white-skinned lady from the ancient world who happened to have ancient Macedonian heritage. It is mind-boggling to understand how a woman of...

Queen Cleopatra is a towering figure in world history who was immortalized by Shakespeare in his tragic play Antony & Cleopatra, a love story of two powerful leaders who succumbed to love and jealousy, or is that what the famous playwright meant through his literature? When we think of Queen Cleopatra, we think of the unmatched beauty of Egypt, who bathed in milk, and we think of Elizabeth Taylor encapsulating the beauty of the Pharaoh in such a way that it is still hard to imagine another actor in the role other than the iconic Hollywood actress. But the new Netflix Original documentary series about the famous Queen of Egypt is not interested in talking just about the doomed love story. Directors Tina Gharavi and Victoria Adeola Thomas tell us the tale of the politician and leader that the Queen was, who managed to stay strong till the end.

The documentary begins with an American professor,...

Exclusive: The award-winning team behind 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room are to tell the story of the 7/7 London bombings in a BBC docuseries, while the BBC has greenlit a definitive history of Volodymyr Zelensky from the makers of The Elon Musk Show.

7/7: Three Weeks In July [working title] will document the day plus aftermath of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in British history, which took place in the English capital almost 20 years ago – killing 52 people when three trains and a bus were blown up by suicide bombers.

9/11 director Adam Wishart’s new indie The Slate Works is producing for the BBC. Inside The President’s War Room, Wishart’s 2021 BBC/Apple TV+ co-pro that told the story of the hours after the Twin Tower attacks via interviews with the likes of George W. Bush, won a BAFTA and an Rts Award.

Key players being interviewed for the 7/7 doc...

One of the guests on "James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction" was George Lucas. In his conversation with the program's host, the creator of "Star Wars" said he feels there are two varieties of sci-fi: science-focused and social-focused. "I come out of anthropology, so my focus is social systems," Lucas explained.

A lifelong lefty, Lucas' politics guide his work. In that aforementioned interview, Lucas confirmed to Cameron that part of his inspiration for "Star Wars" was the Vietnam War — the Rebel Alliance is the Viet Cong and the Galactic Empire is America. In 2005, during the release of "Revenge of the Sith," he summed up the story of the "Star Wars" prequels in an interview with the Chicago Tribune: "Democracies aren't overthrown; they're given away."

During "The Phantom Menace," Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) orchestrates his rise from Senator to Chancellor. In "Attack of the Clones," when his term limit is approaching,...

This post contains spoilers for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

If you agree that Jonathan Majors' Kang performance was the best part of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," we've got good news and bad news. The bad news (which you should know if you've read past the above spoiler warning) is that the version of Kang you know and love from this movie looks to be dead by the end (or possibly hiding in the past as Victor Timely). The good news is there are a lot more Majors coming your way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This shouldn't be news to anyone who stayed for the zany "Quantumania" mid-credits scene, which showed three more Kangs, then a whole stadium full of additional variants hooting and hollering. However, if that informal Kang pep rally wasn't enough to snap you out of MCU fatigue, "Quantumania" writer Jeff Loveness — who will also...

With Donald Trump running for president again, and with his Republican rivals preparing to throw their hats into the ring, it is worth asking: how did the wholly unqualified reality TV star defeat sixteen GOP rivals — from governors to senators to CEOs — in his first race for his party’s presidential nomination back in 2016? Was it by besting them on policy? By raising more money? Or was it . . . by taunting and diminishing them with childish nicknames?

Liddle Marco. Lyin’ Ted. Low-Energy Jeb.

The pundits derided Trump for his “use of vitriolic,...

Writer Jeff Loveness teases more powerful Kang variants and two Avengers that could appear in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Loveness has teamed up with Marvel Studios again to pen the screenplay for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty after writing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Loveness officially introduced Kang the Conqueror into the MCU with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania while also bringing the Council of Kangs to life in the mid-credits scene.

During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Loveness explained how the new Kang variants are more dangerous than Kang the Conqueror. Loveness drops the name of a Kang variant that hasn't been introduced yet. He also specifically mentions two veteran Avengers, which could be hinting at their appearance in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Screen Rant: Has writing this Kang the Conqueror and other variants in the post-credit scenes evolved your understanding of the character?

Jeff Loveness: Absolutely, and that's the challenge.

Making a movie requires a lot of time, effort, and talent. But more importantly, making a movie requires a lot of money. No filmmaker wants their movie to flop, but none more so than studios whose very existence depends on their releases putting butts in seats. While studios have always put their bets on tentpole movies to produce good profit margins, because of the popularity of superheroes and other big-budget franchises, it seems that studios are putting less focus on smaller films that would ensure they wouldn't suffer too much due to their modest budgets (even if they failed). As budgets have gotten bigger, so too has the pressure for these films to not only break even but to break box office records.

Filmmakers face serious career problems when their movies flop with audiences, as a failure or, worse, a string of failures, could lead to a dream project being squashed.