Gladiator sequel is ‘moving forward with casting’… 23 years after the release of the epic original film
- Sir Ridley Scott’s Planned Gladiator Sequel Is Reportedly Moving Forward With Casting
- The filmmaker, 85, has been working on a sequel to his 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe.
- A new report from Puck News suggests that movie bosses are now looking to cast the lead actors.
- The original film garnered an impressive 11 Oscar nominations and five wins, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell.
The planned sequel to Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is reportedly moving forward with casting.
The filmmaker, 85, has been working on a follow-up to his 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe as the former Roman general Maximus who seeks revenge after being forced into slavery and a new report from Disc News suggests that movie bosses are now looking to cast the lead actors.
Scott previously confirmed that the script was finished, but was trying to find time in his busy schedule to get the project off the ground.
Back for more: Sir Ridley Scott’s planned Gladiator sequel is reportedly moving forward with casting
Last month, reports suggested that the new film will follow the story of Lucius, the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s tyrannical character Commodus, who was saved by Maximus in the first film.
Connie Nielsen, who played Lucius’ mother Lucilla, is said to be returning along with Djimon Hounsou, who played Juba, a man kidnapped from his home by slave traders.
Speaking in 2021, Scott insisted that a Gladiator sequel would be next on his list as soon as he finished work on Napoleon, which stars Phoenix as French military commander Napoleon Bonaparte and is set to premiere on Apple TV Plus later this year. .
scott said empire magazine: ‘I’m already having [the next] Gladiator written now. Then when I’m done with Napoleon, Gladiator will be ready to go.’
Epic Movie: Sir Ridley Scott has been working on a follow-up to his 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe as former Roman general Maximus who seeks revenge after being forced into slavery; pictured 2019
The filmmaker previously confessed that before shooting the original movie, he didn’t really do much research.
He said the independent: ‘People say, ‘What did you research for the Roman Empire?’ I didn’t say anything.” I looked at some pictures and thought, “Let this work.”
‘The biggest investment I ever made in my career was to go to an extremely good art school. And that has fed me all my life. “I never went to film school. So I look at some photos and I transform here. And I work like that.”
Star power: Besides Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix also starred in the action movie.
The original film garnered an impressive 11 Oscar nominations and five awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell, whose character met an untimely death at the end of the film.
Russell admitted that he almost turned down Gladiator, but as soon as producer Walter Parkes told him that Scott was in charge, he was intrigued enough to open up talks.
He said Variety in 2020: ‘I read the script and thought it wasn’t a movie. But then Parkes said, “It’s AD 184, you’re a Roman general, and Ridley Scott will lead you.”
And that was enough for me to want to talk to Ridley.
Critically Acclaimed: The original film garnered an impressive 11 Oscar nominations and five awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell, whose character met an untimely death at the end of the film.