Ridley Scott Has No Plans to Retire: “I Despise the Idea of Quitting”

Ridley Scott, who turns 89 in November, plans to keep making films well into his 90s. His last film was 2024’s “Gladiator II,” and his 38th, “The Dog Stars,” hits theaters in August.

Yes, Scott will never retire. He’s in it for the long haul, with over half a dozen projects in various stages of development. However, one has emerged as the clear priority and is currently being lined up as his next film: “Treasure Island.”

In a new interview with Republicca, Scott confirms that “Treasure Island,” starring Hugh Jackman, which recently landed at Sony, is now in pre-production. I presume a shoot in early 2027 is in order for this film.

When asked about retirement, Scott shrugged it off. He wants to stay active for as long as possible.

I hate the word retirement, it sounds like a death sentence. I despise the idea of quitting, I will stay active as long as I am healthy

Scott, who has never won a directing Oscar after four nominations, will receive an honorary one in November. His reaction? “It’s about time, damn it.” However, for him, “commercial success, and cultural longevity” count much more than a trophy.

If he has a dream project, it is directing a musical “in the style of Bob Fosse, which unfortunately I was not lucky enough to know. Since my mother died at the age of 98, it is a dream that is still doable.”

The directorial career of Scott is one that you cannot help but respect. The English-born filmmaker isn’t just a workaholic, churning out almost one movie per year, but in his five-decade career, he’s managed to release as many great films as he has mediocre ones. The fact that he still remains active, having survived the tumultuously monopolized changes in the industry, feels like some kind of small miracle.

It’s quite interesting to see so many filmmakers continuing to make films in their 80s and 90s. With all the advances in medical science, it’s something that’s much more possible today than, say, 20 years ago, when you barely had any directors still active at this age. Some of the big names still working behind the camera include Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Hayao Miyazaki, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Werner Herzog, and Costa-Gavras.