Gladiator 2: What Really Happened?

1. Gladiator 2 Is Now Happening

Except, of course, Gladiator 2 is ready to re-enter the development arena. News reports frequently in recent years claim that Scott's going to be at least producing the movie, and looking to direct it too.

Peter Craig (who is no stranger to long-gestating sequels, as he's also doing the screenplay for Top Gun 2) is writing the script, although it's unclear at this stage if Russell Crowe will be back. It's said that the movie will focus on... yep, Lucius, son of Lucilla, or in other words it's the movie that was first put into development immediately after the first.

There are, however, ways of bringing Crowe's Maximus back, even if the actor himself might not be looking much like his old Gladiatorial self. They could use CGI to de-age him for a more active role, or simply have him appearing using repurposed footage from the first one, with Crowe merely recording new dialogue for the movie, with Maximus serving as a vision to Lucius or in a flashback sequence.

Of course, there's also the question of whether any of that SHOULD happen. While Gladiator's reputation now isn't quite as strong as it was after release in 2000, it is nonetheless a Best Picture winner and a genuine epic. Crowe isn't the same performer, and Scott isn't quite the same filmmaker. A new story might be fine, but it may be better to let Maximus simply remain a legend, instead focusing on the next generation.

Are you not entertained?

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