Heller looking for movie version of 'Rome' (Prematurely cancelled HBO series)

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | 12/1/08 | James Hibberd

[jalisco555]

The creator of CBS' red-hot procedural "The Mentalist" has unfinished business in Italy.

Bruno Heller says he wants to produce a theatrical wrap-up to his critically beloved and prematurely canceled HBO drama "Rome."

"There is talk of doing a movie version," he said. "It's moving along. It's not there until it is there. I would love to round that show off."

The lavish period drama ran for two seasons on HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC. With the final season of "The Sopranos" as its lead-in, the first season was solidly rated, but high production costs presented the network with a tough call on the pickup. HBO opted for a second season to help get more value from its initial investment but not a third, effectively canceling the show in summer 2006 before the second season debuted the following January. The "Rome" sets were destroyed, and the actors were released from their contracts, making the decision all but irreversible.

Season 2 of "Rome" was a surprise. Although slightly lower rated than the first, the show did remarkably well without a "Sopranos" lead-in. The first season received four Emmy Awards, and another seven Emmys were heaped upon the final season.

Suddenly "Rome" was a Greek tragedy: a hit show with no future. The broadcast nets quickly snatched up the show's leads for top fall pilots.

HBO executives have since admitted that axing the show probably was a mistake.

One seeming drawback to revisiting the show after its wrap was the demise of a key lead character, Lucius (Kevin McKidd). Yet Heller reveals that the character's off-camera fate was far from fatal.

"It was very deliberate that we saw him drifting away but didn't see him atop a funeral pyre," Heller said.

McKidd is in a recurring role on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Fellow "Rome" star Ray Stevenson is in "The Punisher," and Polly Walker is cast in Sci Fi's "Caprica."

A feature revival of a defunct series always is considered difficult, though HBO succeeded with "Sex and the City," and Fox's "Arrested Development" is making progress toward the big screen. Heller would not discuss plot ideas, but the original series outline for "Rome" next called for the hedonistic Roman leaders to deal with the rise of a certain problematic rabbi -- a story line that would have put a whole new spin on the Greatest Story Ever Told and potentially bring "Rome" a larger audience.

"I discovered halfway through writing the second season the show was going to end," Heller said. "The second was going to end with death of Brutus. Third and fourth season would be set in Egypt. Fifth was going to be the rise of the messiah in Palestine. But because we got the heads-up that the second season would be it, I telescoped the third and fourth season into the second one, which accounts for the blazing speed we go through history near the end. There's certainly more than enough history to go around."

[pabianice]

“Rome” was too expensive to continue. That’s why it was canceled. Second, keeping the huge cast and crew together between seasons was, yes, too expensive. There is almost no chance of doing a movie now with the original cast and crew.

[navymom1]

“I’ve had trouble getting into The Tudors. Not sure why since I usually like historical dramas.”

Probably because of the actor that played Henry the 8th.
It took me a couple of episodes to become comfortable with him in the role and then he grew on me.

________________________________

I agree. Keith Mitchell was by far the best Henry VIII I’ve ever seen played. JRM is meant to an entirely different demographic, over-sexed, under brain cell driven twenty-somethings. His Henry VIII is played as a spoiled brat who can’t govern without shouting his inferiors down. Boring actually. And this isn’t the actors fault. He’s a very talented Irish born individual who played an unforgetable role as a Confederate renegade in Ang Lee’s Ride With the Devil. But all this stated, I do enjoy The Tudors, but absolutely loved Rome.

[Sherman Logan]

the original series outline for "Rome" next called for the hedonistic Roman leaders to deal with the rise of a certain problematic rabbi -- a story line that would have put a whole new spin on the Greatest Story Ever Told and potentially bring "Rome" a larger audience.

Unless I'm missing something, this would have been impractical. If any of the original characters were still around when Christ started his mission, they would have been over 100, a tad old to play major roles in the events.

If they were going to shift eras, they'd have to start up new characters anyway, so what diff if the old actors were unavailable?

[Tax-chick]

But the show captures the reality of life in Rome better than anything I’ve ever seen.

There's no question that life in Rome was pretty darn gross. (Greece, too, but that's a different movie.) For me, it's less unpleasant reading about such things, rather than watching them.

[this is my country]

“But all this stated, I do enjoy The Tudors, but absolutely loved Rome.”

I couldn’t have said it better.