Few directors have been more prolific and successful over the course of their careers than Ridley Scott. The director has made several iconic films, including Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and now Gladiator II. The director has been known to give good quotes, and it seems like he’s not stopping anytime soon. As he promotes his latest film, which is a 24-years-later sequel to his best picture winner.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever made,” Scott told Empire Magazine in their issue on the film. “One of the best things. I’ve made a few good ’uns,” he added, making it clear that he just thinks it stacks up with the best of what he’s done. The sequel will flash forward more than 20 years from the original film’s events and stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, who was just a boy when he saw Russell Crowe’s Maximus in the arena. As Lucius enters the arena himself, he’ll face off against Pedro Pascal’s general Marcus Acacius.
Mescal, for his part, is excited to have a role that is more physical than what he’s usually tackled. “I had always had a kind of latent ambition to do something that was more muscular and physical,” he told Empire. “From a selfish side of things, I wanted to surprise an audience because I knew that I have this kind of role within me. When this came up, I was like, ‘This is something that I don’t think anybody who’s seen the work that I’ve done previously will be expecting,’ and it’s Ridley Scott.”
Only time will tell whether it’s actually as good as Ridley himself seems to believe.
