As a cinephile who has followed the cinematic journey of Russell Crowe’s Maximus from the original Gladiator, I must admit that the decision to scrap the script for a sequel featuring Maximus battling Jesus Christ felt like a divine intervention… or perhaps a Spielbergian one!
Wasn’t it disappointing that Russell Crowe didn’t reprise his role in the Gladiator sequel? Turns out, you can thank Steven Spielberg for that! Ridley Scott, who directed both the original 2000 film and the recently released Gladiator II, shared with The New York Times about an early script that ultimately didn’t make it.
In Scott’s account, the storyline penned by Nick Cave saw Maximus, played by Crowe, reappear as a divine tool of the Roman deities, tasked against Jesus Christ. Despite initial reservations about this concept, Spielberg convinced him that his instincts were right. “It became overly extravagant,” Scott said. “Nick’s work is quite theatrical, and Spielberg said, ‘No way.’ I wasn’t sure about our creation, so I chose to abandon it.
Reviving Maximus after his fatal battle against Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix) would have transformed the historical genre of the franchise into a realm of fantasy and mythology. The narrative would then starkly contrast with its original counterpart, making it almost unrecognizable.
In theaters from November 15th, the follow-up movie drew mixed reactions. While some felt it rehashed the original plot, others commended Denzel Washington’s portrayal of the queer Roman emperor, Macrinus.
It revolved around Paul Mescal’s character Lucius, who was sent to an isolated land by his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), to protect him from the prying eyes of the Roman empire.
Following the conquest of his hometown by the ruthless Roman rulers, Lucius finds himself compelled to take part in combat within the Colosseum. To regain the grandeur of Rome for its people, he must delve into his past to find the power needed. This is according to the official synopsis.
In addition to Washington, Nielson, Mescal, and Pascal, this illustrious cast also features Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Peter Mensah, among several others. The highly anticipated sequel, Gladiator II, is now showing in cinemas near you.
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2024-11-18 17:22