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'It's As Good As First One': Ridley Scott Compares Gladiator II To The Original Oscar-Winning Film
Ridley Scott claimed the sequel will be "just as good" as the original award-winning film! He revealed the reason behind "mucking" the satisfactory ending of the 2000s hit!
Ridley Scott has high claims for his upcoming sequel to the 2000's Oscar-winning Gladiator. On Monday, August 12, the filmmaker attended the Alien: Romulus premiere, where he spoke to PEOPLE about his highly anticipated film Gladiator II. "It's as good as the first one. I didn't say better. It's as good," he told the outlet.
The original film won five Academy Awards at the 2001 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role. Russell Crowe's portrayal of the righteous and tragic hero Maximus not only won an Academy Award but also won the hearts of the people.
Maximus is forced into slavery and fighting in the iconic pit by the evil emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). However, he fought his way up and became a Gladiator to take vengeance upon Commodus, who killed his family. Unfortunately, despite fulfilling his mission, Maximus succumbs to his wound after his combat with Commodus. Instead of taking his rightful place as the head of Rome's empire, as intended by Marcus Aurelius, he bleeds to death on the Arena floor.
The sequel follows Aurelius's grandson and young son of Lucilla, Lucius (Paul Mescal), who is unaware of his royal inheritance and worships Maximus for his legendary battles. The official synopsis reads, "After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find the strength to return the glory of Rome to its people."
In November, Scott—director of both original and sequel films—spoke to Deadline about why he decided to "muck" with a story that was "satisfactory, creatively complete." He explained that the original film showed one phase of the era, but the cycle has been going on for the last 20 years. "It started to spell itself out as an obvious thing to do, and that's how it evolved," he added.
Apart from Normal People breakout star Mescal, the sequel also stars Pedro Pascal as General Marcus Acacius, Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Joseph Quinn as Emperor L'imperatore Caracalla, and returning cast Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, among others.
Gladiator II will be released on November 15, 2024.
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