Gladiator 2

[GeneChing]

What? No Gladiator 1 thread?

Ridley Scott Moving Forward With ‘Gladiator 2’; Peter Craig To Write Script For Paramount
by Mike Fleming Jr
November 1, 2018 12:43pm


Shutterstock

EXCLUSIVE: While he has been eyeing other projects that include a coming of age Merlin movie at Disney, Ridley Scott has begun forward progress on a sequel to Gladiator, the 2000 film which garnered 11 Oscar nominations and five wins including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. While Crowe’s Maximus character met his end in the classic original film, Gladiator 2 will follow the continuing story of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), The youth was the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the weaselly son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who murdered his father seized the throne and wound up in the gladiator ring with Maximus, who though mortally wounded, skewered the emperor before fading into the great beyond to reunite with his slain wife and son. Maximus saved the boy and his mother while avenging his own family, and left a strong impression on the young Lucius.


DreamWorks
DreamWorks

The original was made by DreamWorks and distributed by Universal. Sources said the charge here is being led by Scott and his Scott Free banner. Oscar nominated for the first film, Scott wants to direct the film, and they are setting Peter Craig, whose credits include The Town and two Hunger Games films, as well as 12 Strong and the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. He also just turned in the script for the remake of Logan’s Run to Warner Bros, Simon Kinberg and Joel Silver, and is just finishing adapting Stags for Fox 2000.

Sources said Paramount will be the studio developing the project, and Universal has the option to co-finance. DreamWorks is out of it. Crowe’s Maximus is a tough act to follow, but the brutal world of Roman gladiators is so compelling, who wouldn’t be entertained by another plunge into that world?

Scott Free will produce with Red Wagon’s Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher and Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald of Parkes + MacDonald.


DreamWorks

Scott right now is directing his first ever TV series, Raised By Wolves, for TNT. He’ll shoot in South Africa. He has several feature projects percolating, including the Scarlett Johansson-starrer drama about photojournalist Lyndsey Addario, and a potential film about the formative years of the wizard Merlin. Gladiator 2 could happen very quickly, but it will take time to come together. If I were betting, I’d lay it on the Merlin film, which is at Disney. Chris Weitz is rewriting that one and Scott and Gil Netter are producing.

Craig is repped by CAA and Grandview, Scott by WME.

[GeneChing]

Jun 9, 2023 3:20pm PT
‘Gladiator 2’ Stunt Accident Leaves Several Crew Members Injured (EXCLUSIVE)

By Brent Lang


Dreamworks/Universal/Kobal/Shutt
Several crew members were injured on the Morocco set of the sequel to “Gladiator” on June 7 while filming a stunt sequence for the action film.

“While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the ‘Gladiator’ sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries,” a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the film, said in a statement. “The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment.”

A total of six people received treatment, four of whom remain in the hospital. All of the impacted crew members were treated for burn injuries, according to an individual with knowledge of the production. Two other crew members were treated locally and then discharged. The accident occurred towards the end of the shooting day. No cast members were harmed.

The sequel to the 2000 epic stars Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen. Ridley Scott, who directed the first film, is returning behind the camera, with David Scarpa writing the script.

“Gladiator” was one of the highest-grossing movies the year it debuted, going on to win the Oscar for best picture, as well as a best actor prize for Russell Crowe. The sequel is slated to hit theaters on November 22, 2024.

The spokesperson for Paramount added: “The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.”

I hate hearing about these but believe they should be shared so people know the human costs of films.