Why aren't there more Roman movies?

Since Gladiator (2000), I have not considered any of the other Roman films to be quite as well made. From what I know, I think it's largely responsible for being both the peak and the beginning of the modern sword and sandals sub-genre of historical cinema. It is historically inaccurate in a number of ways, but I can get past those details if the atmosphere, characters, and stories are compelling enough. Gladiator seemed to be a very grand experience, that did not rely on its ancient Roman setting (alone or mostly) to accomplish that, but it had plenty in the department of those elements I mentioned. I think most Total War fans have seen Gladiator at some point, and most have likely appreciated it. It also has the distinction of remaining the most well known of the Roman films in the public awareness, after nearly sixteen years, and I consider it to be the most classic of 21st century movies, so far. As far as other 21st century (Gladiator and onward) ancient Roman movies are concerned, there are probably only three that I'm aware of, and only King Arthur (Which itself was a hybrid of a late Roman setting with the later medieval legends, sometimes mixing oddly, apparently even making Arthur/Artorius the same person as a 2nd century AD cavalry commander, while living in the 5th century) had a bigger budget and the most public exposure out of the ones I know (Even a pretty decent Playstation 2 game), the others being The Last Legion, and 476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries. There was once a fairly popular TV series on HBO, Rome, although that got cancelled way too soon. I remember a Rome-like series being done some time before that was made, called Empire, which I thought was pretty good at the time.

The ancient Greek genre of historical films (Including ones based around mythology, and especially those for this decade), since the point Troy or Alexander have been made (And both in 2004), going on through 300, and then recently 300's sequel, seems to have more movies than Rome does. However, as for medieval Greece, I am not aware of any English-language efforts to make a film about the later Eastern Roman, Byzantine Empire. A movie centered around the final years of that empire, with its eventual defeat to the Ottoman Empire, would make a great film if done in a similar style to the WWII film Downfall (Der Untergang). It could show the individuals involved, but unlike Downfall, those on both sides of the war. There probably is such a movie that has been made in Greece, or otherwise, and I'm unaware of it.

Which other movies may be compared more closely to Gladiator, or even King Arthur? What are all of the Roman films you're aware of, made since 2000? I can't forget to mention how for both of those movies, the soundtracks were definitely helped by the work of Hans Zimmer and company. To me, they somehow seem to fit in very well, despite how actual ancient Roman music is supposed to have been very different!

I can't help but to feel that I'm ultimately waiting for the next Gladiator type of movie to come along, and to bring about a further mainstream interest in Roman history, as well as revive the ancient Roman genre for more films to be made, hopefully with decent enough budgets. Wasn't there a phenomenon called the "Gladiator Effect" in the early 2000s, in which a lot more people became aware of Roman (likely also leading to Greek and otherwise) history? It seems before that one movie, people just didn't have as easy a reference point to connect the Romans with in popular media. To most, it was that period before the Middle Ages in Europe that they probably remembered reading about at some point, most likely at school. Was there any decent attempt in the 1990s to do a serious Roman era film before the most famous current example was released? Feel free to suggest 1980s and earlier films, but I think those periods of filmmaking may cause the movie to look a lot different from what we've got with Gladiator and similar 2000s/2010s inspirations, which are more of the type I'm after.

At this point, have you noticed that there is even more of an interest in the Romans since Total War: Rome II and Total War: Attila have been made? That's not including a holdover from Rome: Total War's spawning of the interest. You even get people on the Paradox forums or other game boards talking about the Byzantine Empire in medieval games, much of this representing the older Roman (Rome-centered at least) past to them. I think it's likely that an ambitious and interested director and party could succeed in making a big budget Roman epic, now, even at a point in which these movies are very few and lower budget. Who would you like to see direct such a movie? Now my question about casting is, of the currently more popular crop of actors and actresses (Or name an otherwise more obscure choice), who would you believe to be a good fit to get a role in such a movie? A film about the life of Constantine the Great, or one centered around the last years/century of the Western Roman Empire would be most of my preference, although I would be excited about a republic through middle imperial movie as well.


"A New Kind of Man" (John Foxx, 1980):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt4oi-PRbN4