The SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, drew a lot of big Hollywood talent this year, including Sir Ridley Scott, who will be debuting the next chapter of the Alien franchise, Alien: Covenant, in theaters this summer.
Besides Alien and Blade Runner, there is one sequel that Scott tends to get asked about often: a follow-up to his 2000 Oscar-winner, Gladiator. There’s always been the question of how you continue the Gladiator franchise, since (seventeen-year-old SPOILER): Russell Crowe‘s Maximus died! There’s been talk and rumor of all sorts of storyline ideas that could add a new chapter to the story; while at SXSW, Scott revealed that he already has an idea in mind for Gladiator 2, and just needs to get Russell Crowe onboard!
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Here’s what Scott said (as reported by EW):
“I know how to bring him back. I was having this talk with the studio — ‘but he’s dead.’ But there is a way of bringing him back. Whether it will happen I don’t know. Gladiator was 2000, so Russell’s changed a little bit. He’s doing something right now but I’m trying to get him back down here.”
There are many “between the lines” insights in that quote:
- It sounds like the talks between Scott and the studio about this were recent.
- It sounds like the sequel would once again center on Maximus, instead of another character.
- Russell has “changed a little bit,” indeed. (We’ll leave it at that.)
- All in all, it sounds like there’s not real traction on Gladiator 2 yet – unless Scott gets Crowe onboard.
EW points out that there was a Gladiator sequel script floating around in the late 2000s, supposedly commissioned by Russell Crowe himself. That storyline involved Maximus journeying through the afterlife – which sounds more like a medieval reboot of What Dreams May Come than a Gladiator movie.
What do you guys think? Is it too late for a Gladiator sequel? Should the franchise continue to focus on Crowe’s Maximus – or move on to other characters and a new storyline? Let us know what you think on Twitter, @Comicbook and @ComicbookNOW!
