12 Shelved Movies That Would've Been INSANE
3. Gladiator 2
Background: Following the enormous critical and commercial success of Ridley Scott's historical epic, the film's star Russell Crowe approached his near-countryman, Australian musician Nick Cave, to script a sequel. However, Cave had a problem with Crowe's character's fate in the first film. He was dead.
His solution? To resurrect Maximus from the dead and send him on a quest to kill a God in an attempt to finally reach Elysium.
Why It Didn't Happen: According to Cave, following the completion of his script, Crowe contacted him and simply said, "Don’t like it, mate". There was also the further issue that the God in question, Hephaestus, was in fact Greek not Roman. Cave would also later come out to admit that he "knew on every level that it was never going to get made", but apparently enjoyed the experience nonetheless.
Will It Ever Happen? According to 2018 reports, Gladiator 2 is currently in the works with Scott slated to return as director. However, as the new script is being penned by The Town's co-writer Peter Craig, it is unlikely any of Cave's ideas will make the cut. There is also no official word on Crowe's involvement with the project.