In the summer of 2000, Ridley Scott unleashed Gladiator, a sword-and-sandals epic that redefined the genre and solidified its place as one of the best movies of the '00s. This historical drama wasn't just a hit; it was a juggernaut, pulling in a massive $451.7 million at the global box office and snagging multiple Oscars, including Best Picture. Now, 24 years later, the upcoming Gladiator 2 will finally hit theaters, and it promises to be a worthy successor. However, before this sequel took shape, there were several wild ideas for a follow-up, and none more “out there” than Ridley Scott’s supernatural pitch.
In a recent interview with Empire (via SlashFilm), Scott shared details about his bold, supernatural vision for Gladiator 2, which I honestly wish had gotten the chance to see the light of day. This concept would have seen the stoic Maximus return from the dead in a storyline that would shift dramatically from historical drama to spiritual epic. As the Alien creator tells it:
I had this one good idea, a very comic-strippy idea. I'm very much a comic-strip kind of person. I thought, if we find in bloodshed and war that a dying warrior becomes the portal for Maximus to come back from the dead, how about that? [...] I don't mean he comes back through his mouth, but I'd devise a way to bring him back from the dead. [...] But that didn't go down too well with the nobs. They thought it was ridiculous.
At the heart of the original story was the tale of Maximus Decimus Meridius, a betrayed Roman general, played to perfection by Russell Crowe, on a mission for vengeance. In Scott's idea for a sequel -- dating back to around 2006 -- the movie would have begun with Maximus and thousands of others standing on the shores of the River Styx, waiting for Charon to ferry them to the afterlife.
This spiritual epic would have explored themes of resurrection and the afterlife, drawing heavily from mythological elements rather than sticking to the grounded, historical tone of the original film.
The studio, however, was not on board with such a radical departure. The shift from a historical narrative to a fantastical one didn't sit well with the producers and investors, who felt it was too far removed from what made the original Gladiator a success, a flick you can watch over and over, and frankly, still one of Scott’s and Russel Crowe’s best films. Despite Scott's enthusiasm for his comic strip-inspired idea, the pitch was ultimately rejected.
While that plan didn't work out, over two decades after the original hit our screens, a sequel is finally premiering on the 2024 movie schedule, and honestly, it's about time! Now, we might not get to see Ridley’s wild supernatural spin or Maximus battling in the afterlife and traveling through centuries, but don’t worry, the new film still looks like it will be a "magnificent spectacle" in true Gladiator fashion.
Set 20 years after the first movie, this sequel shifts its focus to Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), the young boy from the original, now stepping into the arena for his own intense battles.
With a stellar cast that brings back Derek Jacobi and Connie Nielsen, plus the incredible Denzel Washington as the ambitious would-be emperor Macrinus, it is poised to be an epic intergenerational saga. It's less about rehashing the past and more about building on the legacy in a fresh, thrilling way.
As we prepare for Gladiator II's November 22 release, there's still plenty of time to revisit the original film. If you want to refresh your memory or experience the classic once more, you can stream Gladiator now with an Amazon Prime subscription.
