As the release of Gladiator 2 nears Ridley Scott isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The Bladerunner 2019 director took 24 years to follow up on the Russel Crowe-led film which gave fans a taste of the arena. However, the good news is fans might not have to wait another two decades when it comes to a follow-up on Paul Mescal‘s upcoming film. In a new interview with Total Films, Scott talks about his plans for Gladiator 3.
While the original Gladiator told us the story of Maximus, the upcoming sequel will be set two decades later and follow Lucius, son of Lucilla and Maximus. How this story unfolds remains to be seen, but Scott has surely got more ideas. “I’ve already got eight pages,” he reveals, “I’ve got the beginning of a very good footprint.” He further hinted about the direction of it speaking about returning to the Colosseum in Rome for Gladiator 2. “If there’s a Gladiator 3, I don’t think you’d ever go back into the arena. But I had to go back into the arena…” Though a small tease it seems like Scott knows what he’s doing, and that Lucius story won’t be completely done in the sequel.
What Do We Know About ‘Gladiator 3’?
While there is no official confirmation for a third part in the franchise fans would have to wait for Gladiator 2’s box office results for the studio and filmmakers to seriously consider the need for another film in the franchise. The recent box office failure of Joker 2 serves as a cautionary tale and many in the industry will be reconsidering their sequel plans.
Nonetheless, Scott previously teased what the possible third part could be about, “With that, I’m already playing with the idea of Gladiator 3. No, seriously! I lit the wick… The end of Gladiator II evokes that of the Godfather, with Michael Corleone who finds himself with a job he did not want, and who wonders, ‘and now, Father, what am I doing?’ The next [film] will therefore be about a man who does not want to be where he is.” Certainly, fans would love to see Mescal’s Lucius as a father figure who is stretched between his heart and his duties
Gladiator II will be released in cinemas on November 22, 2024.
via Collider