Summary
Gladiator IIis set to follow up the iconic 2000 classic film,Gladiator, and according to director Ridley Scott, it will be bigger and better than ever. Ridley Scott is a director who is known for delivering large scale epics, likeGladiator,Napoleon, and legendary sci-fi movies likeAlienandBlade Runner. While each of these films benefits hugely from the character-focused stories that happen in one-on-one moments, the larger set pieces also build the world and grandeur of the stories.
Gladiatorkicked off with an epic battle between a German army and a Roman legion led by Maximus (Russell Crowe) in 180AD. The incredible action in this scene seestwo clashing forces battle it out with ferocity and passionthat sets the tone and period of the film, despite nothing else in the film replicating that same scale. However,Ridley Scott has now promised thatGladiator IIwill go even bigger in its opening scene, and I think it could point to great things for the rest of the movie.
Gladiator 2 Feels More Like A Stealth Remake Than A Sequel To Me
The trailer for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 has gotten me very excited, though the way it mirrors the original makes it feel like a stealth remake.
Ridley Scott Makes Me Think Gladiator 2 Will Top The Original Movie’s Iconic Opening Battle
Gladiator II Is Going Bigger And Better
Where the firstGladiatormovie sees two sizeable armies clashing, with fire arrows, explosions, swords and cavalry,Scott has promisedGladiator IIwill open with an even bigger action sequence. In his own words, Scott declared that “We begin the film with probably the biggest action sequence I’ve ever done. Probably bigger than anything in Napoleon.” This is promising because this scene sets the tone and scale of the film as it presents an overwhelming, violent, and busy conflict which will echo throughout the rest of the film.
If Scott is to be believed, thenGladiator IIis going to be several magnitudes more impressive in its opening battle, due to thecomparison toNapoleon, which was a much larger epic war film on a monumental scale. While the bulk of the story takes place in gladiator’s arenas, and the biggest character moments are more muted, thisinitial battle scene reveals the true chaos, brutality, and destruction caused by violence and war. With the ultimate goal being peace for people like Maximus, the path to that peace is hard-fought.
Why Gladiator’s Opening Battle Is Still So Impressive, 24 Years Later
The Opening Battle Sets The Tone Of The Movie
The originalGladiatorcreated an epic war scene with a large ensemble of actors and extras, dozens of props and weapons, and a range of beautifully filmed moments. The fight shifts from two armies standing on different peaks, preparing to unleash hell on each other, and deliver their enemies into the afterlife. It thenmoves between rapid sword fights and brutal deaths, to slow motionmoments when warriors raise their weapons and prepare to attack. The scene is impressive for its variety, the flow, and the way that a scene full of so much chaos can create so much of a through line for the rest of the story.
The scene is extremely valuable, from the speech offered by Maximus to his army encouraging them to run towards their fate, to the disheartened face of the German leader as he sees the tides of war shifting for the Romans to win. And it serves to echo the rest of the story with Maximus being right in the heart of the fight, but also not being impervious to damage as he falls multiple times and relies on the help of his fellow soldiers. Now,Gladiator IIcan replicate this epic storytellingtool on an even larger scale with a new battle sequence.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
