With “Gladiator II” to release on digital platforms imminently, Paramount Pictures is reeling audiences back into the bloodshed with a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes that give an inside look at the film’s enormous production.
Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” which was released in theatres in early November, is the sequel to 2000’s “Gladiator” which starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen and went on to claim five Academy Awards.
Set decades later, “Gladiator II” follows Paul Mescal as Lucius, alongside Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and once more, Connie Nielsen. Despite concerns that the original film didn’t warrant a follow-up film, it was met with a generally positive reception by fans and critics alike.
In the screenwriting featurette, Scott and the film’s writer, David Scarpa, detailed how they rose to the daunting task of bringing the world of “Gladiator” back to modern cinemas.
“He said, essentially, I’d like you to start writing ‘Gladiator II’ and of course, I was really excited,” Scarpa remarks in a clip, released by Paramount on Christmas Eve.
Despite citing the numerous challenges that came along with building a sequel to a 24-year-old film that is universally adored, Scarpa pointed out that the character of Lucius provided them the perfect path forward.
By tying into the original film’s lore and taking advantage of new blood Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, the filmmakers had a unique platform to explore Ancient Rome’s daunting Colosseum once more, but from an entirely new perspective.
It’s “almost like the Odyssey in a sense,” Scarpa continued. “The Odyssey takes place many years after the end of the Iliad. So it’s the idea of picking up these characters much further down the road.”
In an effort to stay clear of the plot of the original and to further divert expectations, Scarpa revealed how he strived not to position a clear antagonist against Mescal and instead overwhelm him with power-hungry players that could turn into a villain at a moment’s notice.
However, that’s not to suggest that Scott and Scarpa didn’t want to acknowledge the previous film and they go on to reveal the importance of giving Russell Crowe’s character Maximus a presence throughout the story.
“Ultimately, we wanted to deliver something that is not the same and yet is worthy of standing up next to the first film.”