39/21
Musician Nick Cave was asked to draft a version by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott
Story
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced into the Colosseum and must look to his past to find the strength to restore Rome’s glory to its people. In the years since the release of the first film, there have been numerous attempts to write a sequel. His version focused on the more mythical elements of Ancient Rome and would have seen Maximus arrive in the afterlife, only to encounter other souls who have not yet ascended.
The studio decided not to proceed with this version, but the script is available to read online
He is eventually tasked by Jupiter and other Roman deities to return to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, an ancient deity who betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and finds himself traveling back to Rome, on a mission to stop Christianity from spreading, while crossing paths with the new emperor, Lucius. The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live for an eternity, featuring a montage of the soldier fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, eventually revealing a modern-day Maximus working at the Pentagon in Washington.
It’s Cecil B
Emperor Geta: The Gods HAVE SPOKEN!. Featured in The 7PM Project: Episode dated July 3, 2024 (2024). DeMille on steroids.
It’s huge, it’s loud, and I certainly felt entertained
Whereas Russell Crowe’s Maximus in ‘Gladiator’ came from greatness, the protagonist here, intensely played by Paul Mescal, becomes greatness as the film progresses. There are some impressive set pieces sprinkled throughout the runtime, and I have to say that Ridley Scott really redeems himself here, after last year’s incoherent flop, ‘Napoleon.’ “Gladiator II” is sure to be an Oscar contender next year in a number of categories. The real sets (built in Malta and Morocco) looked really impressive and gave the kind of immersion that CGI can’t, although CGI was certainly used in several scenes to add layers or create sharks (!).
Except for the fact that Mescal doesn’t carry as much weight and screen presence as Crowe as Maximus, and that it just had a Hans Zimmer vibe, musically, rather than the real thing (or person), I came away thinking this was probably the best time I’ve had in a movie theater this year
https://www.ocsrda.ly/2024/11/03/hayao-miyazaki-and-2024-heron-the-web-web-dl-magnet/
