Pepe Barroso is preparing for battle … 

The 26-year-old Spanish actor has been cast in Peacock’s epic gladiator drama Those About to Die, as principal photography on the Roland Emmerich series kicked off at Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios.

Barroso, who recently starred in Gran Turismo, joins a list of new cast additions that includes Iwan Rheon, Liraz Charhi, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Eneko Sagardoy, Gonçalo Almeida, Kyshan Wilson and Alicia Edogamhe.

Inspired by Daniel Mannix’s nonfiction book, Those About to Die is billed as an epic drama set in the complex and corrupt world of ancient Rome’s spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition.

AGC Television is the studio, with additional financing provided by High End Productions and with local production services provided by Italy’s Wildside Productions.

Anthony Hopkins will play Vespasian, the Emperor of Rome and head of the Flavian bloodline, and the likes of Sara Martins and Dimitri Leonidas have already been cast for key roles.

Sagardoy (Giant, Elite), Barroso (45 rpm) and Almeida (Esperança) play the Corsi brothers.

Emmerich is directing alongside Marco Kreuzpaintner, with Robert Rodat writing.