''Gladiators of Rome'' ( Italian: ''Gladiatori di Roma'') is a 2012 Italian

computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

produced by

Rainbow SpA Rainbow S.p.A. is an Italian studio founded by Iginio Straffi. Viacom (now known as Paramount Global) became a co-owner of the studio in 2011. Rainbow has collaborated with Viacom/Paramount's other company, Nickelodeon, on multiple shows, includi ...

, a studio co-owned by Iginio Straffi and

Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...

. Viacom's

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

released the film in North America while Medusa Film handled distribution in Italy. The film was directed by Straffi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with

Michael J. Wilson Michael J. Wilson (born January 13, 1966) is an American screenwriter best known as the creator of the ''Ice Age'' movie franchise for 20th Century Fox. He became the second sole-creator of an animated movie franchise that went on to genera ...

. ''Gladiators of Rome'' had its world premiere in Italy on 18 October 2012. While conceiving the idea for the film, Iginio Straffi chose to write about ancient Rome so that he could set the story in Italy while still appealing to an international audience. ''Gladiators of Rome'' is a

spoof Spoof, spoofs, spoofer, or spoofing may refer to: * Forgery of goods or documents * Semen, in Australian slang * Spoof (game), a guessing game * Spoofing (finance), a disruptive algorithmic-trading tactic designed to manipulate markets __NOTOC__ ...

of serious films about gladiators, which Straffi said "easily lend themselves to parody." Paramount Pictures (the film unit of

, which co-owns Rainbow) worked with the Italian team on both the casting and story for the film; Paramount asked for certain scenes to be changed for American audiences. The project was in development for over five years and became one of the most expensive Italian films ever made. Its production budget alone was estimated to be around $45–55 million in U.S. dollars, with promotion and advertising costs bringing its total to almost $80 million (70 million euros). The film was a box-office bomb, grossing just 818,913 euros in its opening weekend. Triboo Media's Federico Boni wrote that "there could not have been a worse opening for the 'blockbuster.'" According to

Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray began ...

, the film ended its theatrical release with about $10 million worldwide. In 2016, Straffi presumed that the poor performance of the film was a result of the Rainbow studio's lack of experience with cinema.

Plot

It is the age of

Imperial Rome The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

. Young Timo is an orphan of

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...

's terrible eruption, adopted by general Chirone and raised in the most famous Gladiators' Academy in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. However, Timo is not exactly

gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

material. He just wants to hang out with his friends, Ciccius and Mauritius, and avoid his stepfather's bizarre training sessions at all costs. When Timo meets the lovely Lucilla, he decides to change his life and bring out the valor inside himself - valor that has never shown itself before. Through spells, crazy raids in the woods and the terrible trainings of a very personal lady trainer, Timo has to transform himself into the greatest gladiator of all time. And as they say, if "fortune favors the bold" in Rome hard times are awaiting for Timo and the gang.

Voice cast

Production

In November 2007, Iginio Straffi first mentioned that he was working with Michael J. Wilson on a comedy film, but it was "still a top-secret topic." The film was officially announced in October 2008 under the working title ''Versus Roma''. It was tentatively scheduled for a release date in 2010.

Soundtrack

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984, it reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985, taking 17 weeks to get ...

" #" The Final Countdown" #"

The Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

" #"

Everyday Everyday or Every Day may refer to: Books * ''Every Day'' (novel), by David Levithan, 2012 Film * ''Every Day'' (2010 film), an American comedy-drama starring Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt * ''Everyday'' (film), a 2012 British drama direct ...

" #"Tears and Rain" -

James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 1946347 2012 films Italian 3D films Italian fantasy comedy films Italian animated films 2010s children's fantasy films 2010s fantasy comedy films Animated comedy films Films set in Rome Films set in the Roman Empire Films set in the 1st century 2010s Italian-language films 2012 computer-animated films Films about gladiatorial combat 2012 comedy films Rainbow S.r.l. films Films directed by Iginio Straffi Films produced by Iginio Straffi Films with screenplays by Iginio Straffi Films scored by Bruno Zambrini 2010s English-language films