The roar of a crowd. A sound that countless gladiators heard as they walked out onto the sands of the Roman arena. A sound that you can still hear today in stadiums around the world, where athletes compete for wealth and for glory.

On Episode 5 of Rise or Die, host Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood) wanted to explore how the creative team behind Those About To Die explored the similarities between the spectacle of the Roman arena and modern sports. She speaks with historical consultant Justin Pollard about the bread and circuses and his feeling that F1 racing is the modern incarnation of the Circus Maixmus. This episode also features interviews with actors Dimitri Leonidas and Gabriella Pession, costume designer Gianni Calanuovo, director Marco Kreuspaintner, and director and executive producer Roland Emmerich.

Check out Those About To Die after the episode, streaming only on Peacock.

It’s hard enough to write a character people connect with. But what about one based off of a real person, who lived nearly 2000 years ago in one of the most well-documented time periods in history? There’s just a staggering amount to get wrong. But there’s also so much to get right… to take what we know and build off of it.

On Episode 4 of Rise or Die, host Dana Swartz (Noble Blood) talks to series creator and executive producer Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan). They talk about power and ambition, giving your characters life-and-death stakes, and how family dynamics are essential to the drama in Those About To Die. This episode also features a conversation with actors Joco Macari and Tom Hughes about working with actor Anthony Hopkins, who plays their father, and historical consultant Justin Pollard.

Check out Those About To Die after the episode, streaming only on Peacock.

In a period piece like Those About to Die, or “sword and sandal epics” as they are sometimes called, audiences have high expectations for the costumes. And what the character is wearing doesn’t just say something about them—it says something about the world they inhabit. Creating the costumes for Those About to Die, and helping create the world of the show, required rigorous research and a heroic creative team.

On Episode 3 of Rise or Die, host Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood) talks about how some of the tactile details on set—like the costumes, the props, even the texture of the dust—allowed the Roman Underbelly to come to life. She speaks to costume designer Gianni Casalnuovo, actors Iwan Rheon and Sara Martins, and historical consultant Justin Pollard about bringing authenticity to a part of Roman life is that sometimes overlooked.

Check out Those About To Die after the episode, streaming only on Peacock.

Anyone familiar with visual effects in film and TV knows that most everything is added in post production, after filming the series with actors has wrapped. But what happens when you flip that on its head, and all the crowd scenes, sprawling backdrops and horse races need to be complete before filming can even start?

On Episode Two of Rise or Die, host Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood) explores the world of effects and virtual production that created some of the stunning stunts and visually beautiful moments in Those About To Die. She sat down with visual effects supervisor and action unit director Pete Travers to learn what went into creating some of the spectacular special effects throughout the series, and discuss a new technology the team used to film called an LED stage. This episode also features interviews with director and executive producer Roland Emmerich, actors Moe Hashim and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, and director Marco Kreuspaintner.

Check out Those About To Die after the episode, streaming only on Peacock.

On this episode, host Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood) talks with the cast and creators of the Peacock Original Series Those About To Die about bringing ancient rome to life.

Names like Vespasian, Titus and Domitian are instantly recognizable, locations like the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum loom and the gritty underbelly of Roman society feels familiar…and also alien, all at the same time. With that history in mind, it felt important for this first episode of Rise or Die to zero in on the historical inspiration for the series. Why was 79 CE the perfect year to set Those About To Die in? To find out, we spoke to series director and executive producer, Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot) about what drew him to this specific chapter of Roman history. We also talk with series production designer Johannes Mueke, and actors Iwan Rheon and Sara Martins.

Stream Those About To Die after the episode, only on Peacock.

From Peacock, IGN, and Realm, this is Rise or Die, the official companion podcast to the Peacock original series Those About To Die. On this podcast, host Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood) will go behind the scenes to learn about how the series was made. She talks with critically acclaimed director and executive producer Roland Emmerich, writer and producer Robert Rodat, visual effects supervisor Pete Travers and so many more folks who worked tirelessly to bring this gritty ancient rome to life.

Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.

Watch or listen to Rise or Die, premiering July 18th wherever you get your podcasts. And check out Those About To Die, streaming only on Peacock.