Ancient Rome played a big role in major studio films since the beginnings of silent cinema. Some of the most renowned films in cinema history were set in Ancient Rome, including some of the world’s first blockbusters with headline-grabbing budgets, such as Ben Hur record production cost of US$15 million in 1959.
Source: https://thenexus.one/en/the-25-best-films-set-in-ancient-rome-ranked/