HBO's Rome Started With A Higher Budget Than Even Game Of Thrones

Before "Game of Thrones" took the world by storm with its compelling visuals, extravagant locations, expansive scope, and impressive production value, there was another epic series from HBO that charmed viewers. "Rome" is a historical drama series seen through the lens of two war heroes. Set in the 1st Century BC, it focuses on the events that led to the rise of the Roman Empire following the dismantling of the Roman Republic. The show features a sprawling cast of characters (many of which are based on actual figures from historical records) and vividly depicts life, politics, and warfare in ancient Rome.

The show ran for two seasons in 2005 and 2007, and like "Game of Thrones," it had a massive production budget that cost HBO a lot of money. It was, in fact, much costlier to make than its fantasy successor. And it didn't even have dragons!

Truthfully, HBO's "Rome" never should have ended: It illustrated the fascinating political machinations of the Roman senate through the experiences of Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pollo (Ray Stevenson), two Romans serving in the army. Though the historical drama may not have been filmed in the city, it was filmed close by on a massive set at Cinecittà Studios, the largest film studio in Europe and a hub of Italian cinema. "Rome" was extremely expensive to make (it remains one of the most expensive shows in the world), and like McKidd told Den of Geek, it cost much more than the first season of "Game of Thrones" did.

McKidd further explained how "Rome" was the first time HBO attempted to create a show of such immense scale. The series was unapologetically massive, and no stone was left unturned to make it as authentic as possible ... even if it cost $100 million to do so. The "Game of Thrones" debut, on the other hand, cost HBO roughly $60 million.

It's easy to imagine where "Rome" spent its $100 million budget — bringing ancient Rome to life in all its glory, with hundreds of extras, bustling city streets, and breathtaking scenery couldn't have been easy. "Game of Thrones" didn't go heavy on its special effects and CGI use until a few seasons later, but "Rome" needed to be all-in from the beginning, which is probably why it was far more expensive to put together.

Here's Kevin McKidd's full quote from the 2020 Den of Geek interview:

"I mean listen, none of these budgets were small, but I think 'Game of Thrones' ended up being smaller than ours. Ours, it was the first time anybody had tried this, so we just had to spend the money. And I think they figured out, it seems, ways to do it smarter or for less ... because our show came out of the gate just huge and bawdy and big, and unapologetic."

HBO decided against renewing the show for a third season at least in part because it was too expensive, much to the disappointment of fans. The second season might be a tad rushed and the finale seems abrupt, but it's a show worth watching nonetheless. "Rome" is teeming with several powerful performances from McKidd (Vorenus), Ray Stevenson (Pollo), Ciarán Hinds (Julius Caesar), and Polly Walker (Atia of the Julii), among others, all of whom make the show worth viewing, even all these years later.