Gladiator II may be weeks from its debut, but Ridley Scott is already envisioning Gladiator 3. He has not only brainstormed concepts for a third installment but has also drafted portions of the screenplay.
“I’ve already written eight pages,” Scott shared regarding the progress of Gladiator 3 in an interview with Total Film. “I’ve laid out the beginning of a very solid foundation.”
Scott elaborated, “If there is a Gladiator 3, I don’t believe it would take place in the arena again. But I felt the need to revisit that setting …”
This isn’t the first time Scott has hinted at a third film. He previously mentioned to France’s Premiere magazine that he has been “playing with the idea” of a sequel, likening his work on the Gladiator films to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy.
“The conclusion of Gladiator II echoes The Godfather, where Michael Corleone finds himself in a role he never sought, pondering, ‘Now, Father, what should I do?’ So the next film would focus on a character resistant to the position he finds himself in,” Scott explained.
As with many projects in Hollywood, the fate of Gladiator 3 is tied to the financial performance of its predecessor. The budget for Gladiator II is speculated to be in the range of $250 million to $310 million, which means that the upcoming film must generate at least double that for Gladiator 3 to materialize.
Putting finances aside, Gladiator II is one of the most awaited films slated for 2024. In it, Paul Mescal portrays Lucius, the former heir to the Empire who is enslaved and trained as a gladiator. The sequel features a star-studded cast including Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Directed by Scott, Gladiator II follows the critically acclaimed 2000 film, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Gladiator II is set to hit theaters on November 22, 2024.
