Ridley Scott is going full hyperbole with this latest claim, and maybe it turns out to be correct, who knows. I’d take it all with a major grain of salt, but it’s quite the statement.
Speaking exclusively to Empire, Scott is telling the magazine that “Gladiator II” is his greatest achievement. Yes, better than “Blade Runner,” and “Alien.”
“It’s the best [film] I’ve ever made,” Scott tells Empire. Though, he does admit, he’s made several other great films. “One of the best things, [and] I’ve made a few good ones”.
Scott has now fully boarded the “Gladiator II” hype train. Do you blame him? The film cost well over $300M and had a botched trailer launch that was ridiculed for its usage of a rap song. They should release a new trailer, to clean the stench of that one.
It’s not like those who’ve seen “Gladiator II” have been saying negative things about it. Deadline was told that it’s “fantastic” and “Oscar-worthy.” It test screened very well in April, and buzz has spread throughout the industry about Scott potentially having a major awards player here.
In November ‘23, I polled 120+ critics and asked them to name the best Ridley Scott films. The results: (1) Alien (2) Blade Runner (3) Thelma & Louise (4) The Martian (5) Gladiator. He’s had a storied career, one that’s lasted for more than 50 years and counting, and, at 87, he hasn’t shown any signs of stopping either.
“Gladiator II” is set to arrive in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024 with Paul Mescal as the lead and Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen in supporting roles.
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.