Summary
Gladiator 2will have a very hard time living up to the hype, especially after director Ridley Scott’s comments on where it ranks among his own work.Gladiator 2was in development hell for nearly two decades, and for a time, it looked like it would never happen. After all,the ending ofGladiatordefinitively killed Russell Crowe’s Maximus, and sequel scripts attempting to undo this robbed the original of its power. Instead, the sequel will focus on the grown Lucius (Paul Mescal), who becomes a gladiator himself to avenge his family’s slaughter.
Gladiator 2’scastis an embarrassment of riches too, with Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen - reprising her role as Lucilla - backing up Mescal.TheGladiator 2trailerpromises a rich spectacle too, with Lucius' quest for revenge set against a power struggle within Rome itself.The belated sequel is one of 2024’s most anticipated blockbusters, but the real question is can it possibly live up to nearly 25 years of expectations?
Ridley Scott Believes Gladiator 2 Is One Of His Best Movies
The unfiltered director argues the Gladiator sequel is among his top work
One of the most entertaining things about the press tour for a newRidley Scott movieis hearing the iconic director sound off on any number of topics. Scott has never been shy about sharing his thoughts, and in a conversation withEmpire, he said ofGladiator 2that “It’s the best thing I’ve ever made." The director then smirkly offered a caveat, instead stating the sequel is merely “One of the best things. I’ve made a few good ’uns."
Scott claiming that Gladiator 2 might be his best work is a bold statement in itself and one that’s going to make it even harder for the film to live up to decades of anticipation.
There’s much to unpack from Scott’s comment because he hasmanyclassics under his belt. The originalAlienis one of the best and most influential sci-fi movies ever and launched a long-running series. Scott’s follow-upBlade Runnerisalsoone of the greatest sci-fi films, and its inspiration can be found in just any movie, TV show or video game set in the future.Thelma & Louiseis considered a key feminist film, whileGladiatoritself ranks among Scott’s top worksas a director.
Even Scott’s “lesser” efforts likeBlack Hawk DownorThe Martianwould be considered the best work of other directors. Scott claiming thatGladiator 2might be his very best film is a bold statement in itself and one that’s going to make it even harder for the film to live up to decades of anticipation.
Outside ofGladiator, Ridley Scott also worked with Russell Crowe onA Good Year,Body of Lies,American GangsterandRobin Hood.
Gladiator fans have waited years to be “entertained!”
Scott’s comments have thrown down a gauntlet forGladiator 2, so it needs to be somethingreallyspecial. The thing is,Gladiatortold such a complete, satisfying one-off story there’s a genuine question of whether a sequel even needs to exist. The story revolved around Maximus, and with his death, the book was closed. It appears Crowe himself resisted returning for risk of spoiling that character arc, and nowGladiator 2needs to convince viewers there’s more story to tell beyond Maximus.
Why Russell Crowe Isn’t In Gladiator 2
While there are seemingly obvious narrative reasons why Russell Crowe didn’t return for Gladiator 2, the full story is more complicated.
Scott is a filmmaker who has never lacked in confidence, and even when he helms the occasional dud likeAlien: Covenant, he typically bounces back quickly.Scott must be aware that labeling hisGladiatorsequel as his very best film is a spicy statement- but he must also feel like he has something great on his hands to make it. After all, he’s got an unbelievable cast and the script must have been special to finally entice him back to Rome.
It Will Be Surprising If Gladiator 2 Is Ridley Scott’s Best Movie
Gladiator 2 has a steep mountain to climb to beat Scott’s most acclaimed work
The impact thatAlienandBlade Runnerhad on sci-fi can’t be underestimated, and it speaks to their quality that they still resonate so deeply today. Had Scott retired after making those movies, his legacy would still be assured, but even into his 80s he’s one of the most prolific working filmmakers.Gladiator 2will be Scott’s eighth movie since 2014, and while his recent output is very much a case of quantity over quality, it still features the acclaimed likes ofThe MartianorThe Last Duel.
Lightning like the originalGladiatorrarely strikes twice, and the odds of it happening again forGladiator 2feel somewhat remote.
Now, it’s not outside the bounds of possibility thatGladiator 2is Ridley Scott’s best movie ever, but it has a lot of hoops to jump over to snap that trophy. Even so, many consider George Miller’sMad Max: Fury Roadto be his best film, and the helmer was 70 when that 2015 sequel finally arrived. There’s little doubt thatGladiator 2will be, at the absolute minimum, a fun time, but a full-on classic is another story.
It’s rare for any sequel to top the original - which is certainly true of Scott’sAlienprequelsPrometheusandCovenant- too.The firstGladiatorwas such a handsomely mounted, instant blockbuster classic, and one that happened to match the perfect leading man with the perfect directorto bring it to life. Lightning like that rarely strikes twice, and the odds of it happening again forGladiator 2feel somewhat remote.
What It Will Take For Gladiator 2 To Be Known As Ridley Scott’s Best Movie
Is a Best Picture Academy Award nod in Gladiator 2’s future?
Reports suggest that Scott’sGladiator 2is a more than worthy follow-up to his 2000 epic and that Mescal’s star is going to rise in a major way. If Scott’s declaration is to hold any weight, then the film would, first of all, need both criticalandaudience raves to back that up. A 90+% Rotten Tomatoes rating on both fronts wouldn’t hurt that reception. Of course,it’s hard to gauge the true response to a movie until at least a decade has passedafter its release.
It needs time to be absorbed into the culture, with all the resulting homages, parodies and memes that it entails.Gladiator’slegacy is assured, but only time will tell how the sequel will be remembered. Winning a few Academy Awards wouldn’t hurt its perceptions either, andit might finally be time for Scott to nab that Best Director award that has eluded him three times. The sequel is all but guaranteed nods for technical elements like Costume Design, but Best Picture or Best Actor would push its reception over the edge.
6 Biggest Characters Missing From Gladiator 2
Despite being a direct sequel, Gladiator II’s cast is missing several important surviving characters from the original 2000 film.
Ultimately, it’s great that Scott is so proud ofGladiator 2that he feels it’s one of his top movies. Even so, it’s really up to audiences and critics to decide that.There won’t be a true sense ofGladiator 2’slegacy until many years after it arrives, and even then, it will have to be something truly exceptional to bypass films likeAlienor evenGladiatorto be held as the iconic director’s true masterpiece.
For now, it’s best to just embraceGladiator 2with an open mind and let history worry about its place in the Ridley Scott Hall of Fame. If it’s a big enough success, it might even lead to a third entry, and give Scott a chance to top his own work once again.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
