Posted in: Movies, Paramount Pictures | Tagged: gladiator ii

Gladiator II Brings "A Little Bit Of That History Into A Reality"

Gladiator II director Ridley Scott says he is trying to "bring back a little bit of that history into a reality, and not a fantasy."

There are three different approaches a filmmaker can take when they are making a movie about the past. They can try to be as accurate as possible, barely missing the line to be a documentary instead of a film. They can take so many liberties that they are basically rewriting history and only using the bare bones of reality as a jumping-off point. Or they can find somewhere in the middle where there is plenty of editorializing because this is a movie, but there are also plenty of historical references that are accurate. That is what Ridley Scott is doing with Gladiator II, as some of the events and people in the film are based on actual historical events. As he explained in an interview with Total Film, he wanted to bring some of that history into the film.

"People think that history is something that didn't happen," he says. "By God, this happened again and again… I tried to bring back a little bit of that history into a reality and not a fantasy."

The idea of a sequel to Gladiator has been in the works at varying levels of development for a long time now, but it's finally coming to be this year. When you're returning to something as massive as that first film, which was a game-changer in many ways, you have to wonder if you will return to familiar stomping grounds. While most people think of Rome and the Colosseum when they think of Ancient Rome, it was more than that, and if Scott wanted to go to completely different locations for Gladiator II, he could. However, Scott explained that while he questioned returning to familiar locations, he ultimately decided it was for the best. "You go through all the questions," Scott said. "Can I go back to Rome? Can I go into the Colosseum again? Because we did that with Russell [Crowe]. And the answer is: you better be in the Colosseum because it's called Gladiator. I don't know how you do it without going back into the Colosseum, otherwise there's no point in doing it." In some of the footage, we have seen that they are doing something very different with the Colosseum this time and showing off how they would have entire sea battles there. It doesn't get much more cinematic than that.

Gladiator II: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, and Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. It will be released on November 22, 2024.

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