Summary
At the end of Peacock’sThose About to Dieepisode 1,there’s a title card dedication to someone named Gianluca Bombardone, and the story behind it is sad.Those About to Dieand its cast of characters follow multiple plot lines. One follows Tenax (Iwan Rheon), a master of the criminal underground and businessman bent on bettering his plebian lot in life. Another follows Cala (Sara Martins) and her children, a Nubian family who become enslaved as servants and gladiators. Still another follows the battle of Titus (Tom Hughes) and Domitian (Jojo Macari), two brothers vying for their father’s throne.
Those stories all intertwine with smaller subplots, making for a complex tapestry woven across ancient Rome. With such a huge cast and so many moving pieces,it requires a stellar production crew to make it all happen.With so many sweeping shots and action-heavy sequences, the camera crew was especially vital toThose About to Die, which was released July 18. Sadly, one of those crew members passed away after shooting the historical epic.
Gianluca Bombardone Was An Italian Producer & Camera Person
He Was Well-Known In The Italian Film Community
Gianluca Bombardone was well-known in the close-knit Italian film community as a producer, but especially as a camera operator. Despite his relatively young age,Bombardone had almost 100 credits to his name working on the camera and electrical department of multiple movies and TV shows, both for his native Italy and for American and British Hollywood productions. He had a special knack for period dramas and historical projects. Some of his better-known projects include the TV showsThe Great,Medici, andDevils, and the recent Kevin Hart movieLift.
He Worked On Those About To Die As A Camera & Steadicam Operator
The dedication inThose About To Dieis because, tragically,Gianluca Bombardone unexpectedly passed away in June at just age 44.According to Italian reports, Bombardone was filming a documentary in Sardinia in early June when he suffered a cardiac event while on set, feeling ill before collapsing. Despite doctors on set immediately setting to work resuscitating Bombardone, he never regained consciousness, passing away in front of his colleagues on August 17, 2025. He left behind a wife and two children. (viaL’Unione Sarda)
Bombardone had worked on the set ofThose About to Dieas a camera and steadicam operatorfor an unknown number of episodes. Though he was a small part of a huge cast and crew, plenty of people on crew and cast alike had known and loved Bombardone. With the vast majority of the crew being Italian and the series being primarily shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome, it’s likely that many of them had known Bombardone well, having worked with him before. As such, the dedication was a simple but sweet nod to a man who had impacted many working onThose About to Die, both before and while filming the show.
Source: L’Unione Sarda
Those About To Die
Set in the year 79 AD in Rome, “Those About to Die” dives into the brutal and complex world of gladiatorial combat. The series explores the dark underbelly of Roman entertainment, where the promise of free food and blood-soaked spectacles keep the restless population in check. The narrative focuses on various characters from all corners of the Roman Empire, whose lives intersect in the grand arena.
