After 25 years, Gladiator II finally hits cinemas, reigniting excitement for a long-awaited trilogy. Director Sir Ridley Scott and star Paul Mescal are already teasing plans for Gladiator III.
Mescal told Variety, “Massively down. I don’t think it’ll take another 24 years, but I have no idea when it will be.”
Scott, at 87 and showing no signs of slowing down, revealed he’s already drafting the script. “I’ve got eight pages and the start of a strong framework,” he shared with Total Film.
He hinted at a major departure from the arena setting of the first two films, likely due to the evolution of the story.
SPOILERS:
Gladiator II ends with Lucius, grandson of Marcus Aurelius, defeating his former slave master in combat outside Rome after the co-Emperors Caracalla and Geta are killed.
He vows to rebuild Rome in his grandfather’s vision, positioning himself as de facto Emperor. Unlike Maximus, who perished in the Colosseum, Lucius’ story shifts beyond gladiatorial combat.
Scott compares the envisioned third film to The Godfather Part III or Dune: Messiah. Speaking to Premiere, he noted, “It’s about a man who doesn’t want the power he’s inherited, echoing Michael Corleone’s reluctant rise.”
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