Ridley Scott reveals why Nick Cave’s crazy Gladiator 2 script didn’t get made

In a parallel universe Gladiator 2 featured not Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal going head-to-head in the arena – but alternatively a deceased Maximus arsenic helium wakes up successful the afterlife.

The highly-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning 2000 historical play from Ridley Scott picks up years aft gladiator Maximus’ (Russell Crowe) decease arsenic we conscionable his and Lucilla’s (Connie Nielsen) lad Lucius and his bloody thirst for revenge.

But things could person looked a batch different.

After the roaring occurrence of the archetypal movie, Russell was keen to prima successful a imaginable sequel. There was conscionable 1 tiny caveat, his quality was dead.

Not 1 to beryllium deterred by thing arsenic measly arsenic mortality, the 60-year-old Hollywood prima ditched the Gladiator screenwriter John Logan and alternatively commissioned Australian writer and musician Nick Cave.

Enthused by the imaginable of penning an out-of-the-box sequel, the one-time filmmaker concisely divided his absorption from his euphony and concocted 1 of the wildest movie plot’s of each time.

Enter Maximus, freshly dead, and blinking his eyes unfastened successful the netherworld and soon stumbles unfastened Jupiter, alongside a fistful of different Roman deities.

He informs Maximus that Hephaestus has betrayed them and is spreading the connection of a higher god.

His task? Kill Hephaestus to guarantee helium volition beryllium reunited with his woman and kid successful the fields of Elysium.

But soon capable his program goes to shambles erstwhile helium re-enters the quality satellite and encounters (in this version) the villainous Lucius that leads to a melodramatic showdown.

It’s a convoluted and far-fetched crippled to accidental the slightest and, arsenic per the BBC, Russell was speedy to cull it, simply saying: ‘Don’t similar it mate’.

And it seems Ridley was not convinced by his imaginativeness either, precocious telling the New York Times: ‘It got excessively grand. Nick is precise precocious theatre, and Steven Spielberg [who was consulted connected the archetypal film] said, “Nah”.

‘I wasn’t assured astir what we had really enactment together, truthful I conscionable fto it go.’

In fact, helium adjacent tried to sermon a imaginable sequel with Russell a fewer years aft the first.

He continued: ‘Russell said, “What tin we do? I’m dead.” I abruptly thought there’s a mode of bringing him backmost from the dead: As a antheral dies successful battle, that is the accidental to travel from the dormant broadside into the beingness side, to travel backmost successful the assemblage of a soldier.

‘I said, “The occupation is, Russell, either you’re going to beryllium the treble of Maximus oregon you’re going to person to beryllium idiosyncratic else.”‘ Clearly a determination couldn’t beryllium landed upon.

None of this seemed to fuss the euphony creator who, astatine 1 time, admitted: ‘I enjoyed penning it precise overmuch due to the fact that I knew connected each level that it was ne'er going to get made.’

So determination we person it, the sequel that ne'er was.

Now that this caller mentation is coming out, however, the Les Misérables prima has expressed his discontent astatine the premise.

‘I’m somewhat uncomfortable with the information they’re making different 1 because, of course, I’m dormant and I person nary accidental successful what gets done,’ helium told US podcast Kyle Meredith with… implicit the summer.

‘But a mates of the things I’ve heard I’m similar “No, no, no, that’s not successful the motivation travel of that peculiar character”. But I can’t accidental anything, it’s not my place, I’m six ft under. So we’ll spot what that is like.’

The movie, which landed successful UK cinemas connected Friday, has had a affirmative reception and secured a humble 76% connected Rotten Tomatoes.

Metro’s four-star reappraisal reads: ‘The ambitious scope of the movie and the effort that has gone into it is rather thing to behold – cipher other is making movies similar this anymore.

‘I whitethorn person quibbles but Gladiator 2 is compelling and, astir importantly, entertaining.’

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