STACK #245 March 2025

MOVIE FEATURE

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THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY!

One of Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers, Ridley Scott has nearly made many other movies - some of which were taken up by other directors, while others never came to fruition. Here are a few of them. Johnny Utah (became Point Break ) 3001:The Final Odyssey Tristan and Iseult Dune (1984) The Battle of Britain I Am Legend

GENRE: Action adventure RUN TIME: 2h 28m

Set two decades after the events of his historical epic Gladiator , Ridley Scott re-enters the arena with his long-anticipated sequel Gladiator II . Words Gill Pringle WHEN IN ROME

Blood Meridian Shadow Divers Dudes (1997) RKO 281 (1999)

“I t’s well worth the wait. It’s possibly even more extraordinary than the first,” teased the veteran director of classics like Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1981) ahead of the film’s theatrical release. While still editing the film in London, Scott spoke via Zoom at this year’s CinemaCon, joined by Paul Mescal, who plays the central role of Lucius Verus - the son of Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) - and Nielsen herself. “Working on this film was one of the standout moments in my life to date. Getting to go to work every day and have Sir Ridley Scott behind the camera is a good day's work in any context,” said the Irish actor, who rose to fame in the TV miniseries Normal People . For Nielsen - who alongside Derek Jacobi’s Senator Gracchus represents the only returning key cast members - it’s an emotional return to the Gladiator world. “To return to the big screen as Lucilla once again - and alongside this extraordinary cast - is a feeling that defies description,” she says. This new chapter in the Gladiator

Riddley Scott and Paul Mescal

Perfume:The Story of a Murderer (2006) Monopoly Concussion (2015)

DYK?

Ridley Scott sold the set of the Kingdom of Heaven (2005) to the Moroccan government for just $10, as it would have cost $300,000 to dismantle. Fifteen years later he paid $1 million to rent it back to shoot one sequence for Gladiator II .

story further features Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave who plots to

Denzel Washington

control Rome. He keeps a stable of gladiators and mentors Mescal’s Lucius. During the film’s press campaign, Washington said of his character, “He’s trying to use everybody. He’d use his own mother, he’d use his own children; he’s already used up his soul, so he didn’t have any left. He’s in bed with the Devil!” Likewise, Scott has described Washington’s character as "pretty f-cking cruel" to the arena fighters, with Washington further adding that he "wants to be Emperor and he's willing to do anything to get there”. Gladiator II is an absolute riot with Scott upping his gladiatorial opponents in this sequel, featuring violent rhinoceroses, vicious apes, and man-eating sharks, amongst other things!

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal

• Gladiator II is out Mar 5

Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi

REWIND ON RIDLEY SCOTT

Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, House of Gucci, The Last Duel, American Gangster

12 MARCH 2025

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