Ridley Scott had an entirely different idea for Gladiator 2. When the first film became a huge success, even winning Oscars, Scott and team planned a sequel film by retconning Crowe’s death in the film. Scott will never reveal the story that Nick Cave had written for the earlier sequel plans. However, he explained the first shot of the film that could’ve potentially brought back Crowe.
Scott’s Gladiator II is coming to theaters this Christmas without the involvement of Russell Crowe. Paul Mescal will play the lead, a grown-up Lucius, in a story that is written by David Scarpa.
Ridley Scott Would Never Reveal His Plan To Potentially Bring Back Russell Crowe’s Maximus
Before Ridley Scott picked Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal to carry out his Gladiator 2 plan, he had plans to revive Russell Crowe’s Maximus. This previous version of a sequel was in the works years ago, with Nick Cave penning the script. While Scott would never reveal what Cave’s script entailed, he gave fans an idea of what Scene One would’ve looked like in the planned film.
During his appearance on the ReelBlend Podcast, Scott opened up about Maximus’s return. In the opening scene planned, the Alien director shared that Maximus would be brought back to the real world through a portal. He shared that he wouldn’t delve into details since he feared that someone would steal the idea.
He shared that he and Cave had discussions for a month while the latter wrote the script. He shared that the scene would involve Maximus at the edge of the ocean, wandering in his armor. Scott shared that it was Scene One in the film. The Blade Runner director shared with ReelBlend:
Nick Cave wrote the script, but I had the idea. I knew how to bring him back through a portal, back to the real world. I’m not going tell you what it is, because somebody will steal it… I talked to Nick every other day for about a month as he was writing it. And so I said, “We can bring him back this way.”
And what I want to do is start the film in Styx, on the edge of the ocean, and you see him, this warrior, wandering in armor. Then, it’s Maximus wandering, looking for where he’s going to go next. That’s Scene One.
Various versions of Nick Cave’s script were revealed over the years. Interestingly, in one of the versions, Lucius replaces his uncle Commodus as the morally corrupt Emperor of Rome. In the new script by David Scarpa, Lucius leaves the empire to live with his wife and child in Numidia, only to be brought back as a slave.
Russell Crowe Is Slightly Uncomfortable With Paul Mescal’s Gladiator II
Russell Crowe‘s character in Gladiator was killed by Joaquin Phoenix‘s Commodus. While Crowe is done with the character, he is not entirely on board with the idea of a sequel with another actor in the lead role. He shared that he was “slightly uncomfortable” with the new film and how he got no say in the film.
Speaking to Kyle Meredith With… podcast, he shared that there were a few things that he didn’t agree with in this film. However, he shared that it was not his place to discuss it with the makers since his character was dead. Crowe shared on Kyle Meredith With… podcast:
I’m slightly uncomfortable, the fact that they’re making another one, you know? Because of course, I’m dead, and I have no say in what gets done. A couple of things that I’ve heard, I’m like, ‘No, no, no. That’s not in the moral journey of that particular character.’ But you know, I can’t say anything. That’s not my place. I’m six feet under. So we’ll see what that is like.
Besides Mescal and Pascal, the film also stars Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, May Calamawy, and Fred Hechinger. Gladiator II is scheduled to be released in the US and Canada on November 22, 2024.
