There is no question that Ridley Scott has secured his spot among the greatest directors to have ever lived. Christopher Nolan has openly stated that he’s watched Blade Runner (1983) “at least a hundred times,” and Alien (1979) is still the best horror/thriller/sci-fi movie ever made. And somehow, his greatness continued into the 21st Century, with Gladiator (2000), winning practically everything at the ensuing Academy Awards, resulting in some of the most quotable film scenes in history.
“Are you not entertained?!”
Maximus in Gladiator
And then Ridley hit a speed bump.
Several actually.
Several very, very expensive speed bumps. The Counselor (2013), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), House of Gucci (2021), The Last Duel (2021), and so many more, but most recently, Napoleon (2023), which Brian Cox called “truly terrible”, one that generated an immediate post-film text from my dad lamenting, “What the hell was that?”
And still, Scott receives a blank check whenever he decides to make a movie, with the most lauded actors of our time lunging at the opportunity to work with him. And why wouldn’t they? It’s Ridley f’ing Scott. The one standout amongst his recent output of yawns was 2014’s The Martian, which was actually pretty great, presumably proving to actors and producers, “See?! He’s still got it!” At 86 years old, the fact that he’s as prolific as he is deserves a round of applause in itself.
This leads us to today, Gladiator 2, currently in post-production. And the recently released pics of Mescal in full gladiator gear have set the internet on fire.
The current internet sensation, Paul Mescal – whose stratospheric ascent to Hollywood royalty has been extraordinary since his debut in 2020’s Normal People – stars as Lucius, the son of Joaquin Phoenix’s character in the original film. And truthfully, one really doesn’t know what to expect from this unexpected, if not un-asked-for, sequel.
“That’s the worst f***ing idea I’ve ever heard”
Screenwriter Paul Schrader on making a sequel to Taxi Driver
Spoiler alert: Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) both die at the end of Gladiator after a WWE-style finale. But alas, the fact that Commodus had a son who watched his insufferable father get killed by a slave-turned-gladiator, ostensibly opened the door for a sequel. But as we all know, sequels are a very tricky business of Russian roulette. You could get The Dark Knight (2008) and Godfather Part II (1974), or you could get Jaws 2 (1978) and Evan Almighty (2007).
At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Paul Schrader (the legendary screenwriter of Taxi Driver), was asked about a potential sequel to the 1976 classic, one that had been insisted by Robert De Niro, who plays the lead character, Travis Bickle. Schrader’s response? “Robert is the one who wanted to do that. He asked Marty (Scorsese) and I. Now, I don’t want to slag De Niro, but a lot of his decisions sometimes have financial motivations. I’m sure someone had said to him, ‘You know, if you do Taxi Driver 2, they can pay.’ So he pressed Marty on it and Marty asked me and I said, ‘Marty, that’s the worst f***ing idea I’ve ever heard’.”
Russell Crowe admitted that he’s “Slightly uncomfortable, (over) 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.” Adding, “I reflect back on the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it and the doors that particular movie opened for me,” he said. “So there’s definitely a tinge — and this is just being purely honest — a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy. Because I remember when I had tendons.”
Are those the words of a bitter, has-been, or an artist with integrity? Who can say? But considering Mescal’s very successful track record of indie films (he was Oscar-nominated for Aftersun [2022]), along with additional heavyweights like Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal starring in the film, one can only assume they all agreed that the script for Gladiator 2 must’ve contained something of substance. Otherwise, one can only hope, actors of that caliber would have enough integrity to step away, no matter how fat the payday.
But then again, this is also Mescal’s first major Hollywood blockbuster, nonetheless working alongside a legendary director in Scott, having deliberately remained in the ‘indie’ film scene, which, today, really just means abstaining from playing a superhero. Still, one can only fathom the increased number of zeros on his paycheck, especially compared to what he received for Aftersun. As Edward Norton said, “I got paid $ 8,000 (AED 29k) for Moonrise Kingdom (2012). That’s why I have to make movies like The Incredible Hulk (2008).”
Fair enough.
Famed British chef, Marco Pierre White, once mused, “Work is the greatest painkiller known to man.” The reason I bring this up is that Ridley Scott’s brother, Tony Scott – famed director of Top Gun (1986) and many other action classics – took his own life some years ago, and one can’t possibly imagine the gaping void that left within Ridley’s soul. Perhaps his unwavering dedication to hard work, good or bad, is the only painkiller that has ever worked for him, the only thing that has kept his engines running for nearly 90 years.
One can’t help but be skeptical over what Gladiator 2 has in store. But, as a fan, I really do hope it’s great.
And even if it’s not, Ridley Scott is 86 years old – let’s see what you manage to achieve at that age.
