Alexander: The Making of a God is a Netflix docudrama with its eye on one of history's most formidable military figures: Alexander the Great.
Following on from Queen Cleopatra, this new six-part series recounts the Macedonian King's rise to prominence, charting his journey from an exiled young man through to his conquest of the Persian Empire. His ambition saw Alexander claiming at the largest Western Empire in history (stretching from Greece to part of India), within six years.
To tell such a story, Alexander: The Making of a God combines dramatic reenactment footage with contemporary contributions from historical experts and "fact-based archaeology" which is based on ongoing excavations being undertaken by Calliope Limneos-Papakosta in Alexandria, Egypt.
Here's what you need to know about Alexander: The Making of a God...
Alexander: The Making of a God release date
Alexander: The Making of a God premiered on Netflix on Wednesday, January 31, 2024: all episodes are now available to stream right now.
Already watched it? Looking for more factual entertainment? Don't forget to check out our list of the best Netflix documentaries for more recommendations.
Alexander: The Making of a God cast
To bring his story to life, the Alexander: The Making of a God team enlisted an impressive cast. It includes:
- Buck Braithwaite (Master of the Air) as Alexander the Great
- Mido Hamada (Foundation) as King Darius
- Agni Scott (Absentia) as Stateira
- Dino Kelly (Peaky Blinders) as Ptolemy
- Will Stevens (Silent Witness) as Hephaestion
- Alain Ali Washnevsky (Tehran) as Mazaeus
- Kosha Engler (Culprits) as Olympias
- Steven Hartley (Brassic) as General Memnon
What does Alexander: The Making of a God cover?
On Tudum, Netflix gave us a clear idea of Alexander: The Making of a God's focus. Chiefly, the series revolves around the historical icon's ultimate goal of toppling King Darius, and his subsequent victories across the West. The streamer's also teased that the docudrama will speculate on some of the details about Alexander's private life, including his intimate relationship with childhood friend (and potential lover) Hephaestion.
Their summary for the series reads: "The six-part docuseries explores the extraordinary path of the young, exiled man determined to find his place in the world following his father assassination, quickly uniting his country in a campaign for dominance. Alexander pursued an unrelenting obsession with defeating the Persian King Darius, and his ambition led to his claim of largest Western empire in history, from Greece to part of India, in just under six years. "
Alexander: The Making of a God episode guide
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 1, "The Boy King": Introduces both the major figures of this story (Alexander himself, and his rival, Darius III, the head of the Persian Empire) and sets up their ensuing rivalry. Both came to their respective thrones in suspicious circumstances: Alexander's father was assassinated, and two of Darius' predecessors were poisoned.
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 2, "Death or Victory: The tyrant inside Alexander begins to emerge as he joins his troops and leads them to victory in western Persia, prompting Darius III to reassess the threat Macedon poses to Persia.
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 3, "Face to Face": Alexander manages to defy the odds and overcomes Darius III during the Battle of Issus. He then falls back, setting his sights on a new target: Egypt, one of Persia's provinces.
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 4, "The Golden Empire": In Egypt, Alexander finds a new purpose: discovering his true identity. To do so, he undertakes a perilous journey to find an oracle who can reveal the truth.
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 5, "The Living God": Alexander truly embraces his destiny, plunging his army into the heart of the Persian Empire, prompting a final showdown with his rival, Darius III.
- Alexander: The Making of a God episode 6, "A World Still To Conquer": With the Persian Empire in his grasp, Alexander sets out with renewed fervor to conquer the world.
Is there an Alexander: The Making of a God trailer?
Yes! The official trailer arrived a few weeks ahead of the docudrama's release, and it shows us some of the defining moments from the legendary figure's history, along with revealing some of the contributors and their perspectives on his greatness. Check it out below:
