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Ridley Scott Is Working On A Sequel To His Award-Winning Classic 'Gladiator'

Ridley Scott Is Working On A Sequel To His Award-Winning Classic 'Gladiator'

The director is said to be working with writer Peter Craig for the sequel

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Director Ridley Scott is working on a sequel to Gladiator.

As reported by Deadline, Scott is set to pick up the project alongside writer Peter Craig (who has previously worked on Top Gun: Maverick) for Paramount.

The original film, released in 2000, was nominated for 11 Oscars and went on to pick up five, including the biggie - Best Picture - and Best Actor for Russell Crowe, who played Maximus.


The new movie will reportedly centre on Lucius, son of Lucilla (played by Connie Nielson in the original) and nephew of Commodus (Joacquin Pheonix), who killed Maximus. (Please don't come at me saying that's a spoiler, the film is 18 years old.)

Naturally, as the film was such a rip-roaring success, grabbing a clutch of awards and pulling in $460m worldwide, there's been talk of a sequel for years.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly last year, shortly after the release of Alien: Covenant, Scott said he was keen on the idea of a sequel and, despite him being killed off in the first movie, was also thinking of bringing Crowe back.

"I know how to bring him back," he said. "I was having this talk with the studio - 'but he's dead'. But there is a way of bringing him back. Whether it will happen, I don't know. Gladiator was 2000, so Russell's changed a little bit. He's doing something right now but I'm trying to get him back down here."

While Crowe has previously heaped praise on the director and his fond memories of filming Gladiator.

Last year, speaking to Hot Corn, the actor said: "On the set of Gladiator I built up a relationship with him that would last forever. It felt like we were in the trenches together, gradually putting the movie together as we filmed it.


via GIPHY

"Ridley did a job that was both epic and magical.

"And I can clearly remember when he told me that the production company was wrong to think of the film as an action movie to sell to teenagers. He was right: after just two weeks it was clear to everyone that the female audience was the biggest.

"Basically, the film is an emotional journey and Maximus Decimus Meridius gave me one of the most gratifying experiences of my career. I'm not saying he is my absolute favourite, but I really loved him."

Featured Image Credit: Dreamworks Pictures

Topics: TV and Film, US Entertainment