Gerard Butler's 'Attila' Is the Best 'Spartacus' Follow-Up

Released in 2001 on USA Network, Attila is a two-part miniseries that casts Gerard Butler as the feared Hunnic leader. The production features a supporting roster that includes Tim Curry, Tommy Flanagan, and Powers Boothe, and it condenses the conqueror’s rise into a compact, often violent drama.

Set during the Migration Period, the story tracks Attila’s violent unification of Hunnic clans, his wars against the Eastern Roman Empire, and later clashes with the Visigoths and the Western Roman forces. A parallel thread follows Roman general Flavius Aetius, jailed for plotting against the empress and later pardoned to repel the Huns and try to hold the Western Empire together amid political infighting.

The miniseries blends history and invention. Some scenes echo ancient sources—Priscus is cited for cultural details like the Hunnic reverence for the wolverine, the she-bear, and the horse—while creator Robert Cochran alters or invents episodes for drama.

United States

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