It’s no secret that “Gladiator II” was a disappointment for many. And yet, Ridley Scott continues to threaten us with “Gladiator III.”
Last year, Scott reiterated that “there certainly will be a Gladiator 3,” and he’s just now given us a fresh update, via The Guardian, claiming that the film is “in the process right now.” The script seems to have been written.
Alright then. If Scott and Paramount believe there’s a large enough audience willing to follow Paul Mescal’s Lucius on his next adventure, then by all means, go ahead and greenlight this third chapter.
Scott had linked the ending of “Gladiator II” to that of “The Godfather,” with Paul Mescal playing a Michael Corleone–type figure who gains power without having sought it.
No, seriously! I lit the fuse... The ending of “Gladiator II” is reminiscent of “The Godfather”, with Michael Corleone ending up with a job he didn't want, and wondering, 'What now, Father, what do I do? "So the next [movie] will be about a man who doesn't want to be where he is."
According to Scott, who recently turned 87, the sequel would deal with Mescal’s character and the power struggles of the political world in Rome. Mescal has also confirmed his interest in the potential threequel.
Did we really need a sequel to the Oscar-winning 2000 sword-and-sandals epic? The clear answer, at least in my eyes, was no.
“Gladiator II” could best be described as a hot mess, with multiple plot strands awkwardly stitched together over its 150-minute runtime. One could technically enjoy “Gladiator II” as camp—which it was—a soap opera filled with odd performances and implausible situations. But we deserved better than what we got. And Mescal was, frankly, miscast in the lead role.
Fingers crossed that “Gladiator III” doesn’t end up making “Gladiator II” feel like a classic.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.