Never Forget the Weirdo Version of Gladiator II We Almost Got

After months of endless promotion, audiences everywhere are accustomed to the idea that Gladiator is getting a legacy sequel in the form of Gladiator II. The idea of this universe continuing with new actors Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington has become just another facet of reality. Early overseas box office numbers indicate that this incarnation of the Gladiator mythos is bound to become a moneymaker for Paramount Pictures and other financiers. At this point, it’s like it was preordained that this was how a Gladiator sequel was supposed to play out.

Anyone who knows the history of Gladiator II knows, though, that a radically different version of this project was once on the docket. A version of Gladiator II headlined by Aftersun‘s Mescal was not the first incarnation of a Gladiator sequel. A significantly different, and unabashedly weird, version of this concept was once on the table.

The Origins of Gladiator II

In Nicole LaPorte’s 2010 book The Men Who Would Be King : An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks, an anecdote is shared alleging that one of DreamWorks founders, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was immediately on the phone discussing Gladiator II ideas the night after the original Gladiator won the Best Picture Oscar. That’s how far back the concept of turning this 2000 hit into a franchise has allegedly existed. Inevitably, given how long Gladiator II was stewing in development, some different and unhinged ideas were discussed on how to continue this saga, especially since Gladiator protagonist Maximus (Russell Crowe) perished in the first movie.

In June 2001, a screenwriter was hired to pen a Gladiator sequel. By the end of 2002, public comments from the producers of this sequel revealed that the notion of an “afterlife” was being explored to ensure the return of Maximus. In 2006, Ridley Scott divulged that part of why Gladiator II didn’t get off the ground in this era was because of creative differences. Studio executives yearned for a movie very much in line with the final version of Gladiator II focusing on Lucius “Hanno” Verus. Already at this juncture, the concept of making Gladiator II without Crowe was something financiers and studio heads were comfortable with.

Crowe, meanwhile, was pushing for a more fantastical script that would allow Maximus to endure in this franchise. This pursuit eventually resulted in an absolutely bananas screenplay penned by Nick Cave. Among the outlandish plot points here were Maximus being involved in the murder of Jesus Christ and this Gladiator protagonist becoming immortal. The ending would’ve involved Maximus still existing in the modern world in a high-profile job at the Pentagon. Needless to say, this particular screenplay has become infamous over the years for its bizarre elements.

Reflecting on this version of Gladiator II in 2024, Scott has remarked he always doubted the script could really work as a movie. Once DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg said he didn’t like the script, that gave Scott the confidence to dispense with Cave’s vision. Maximus was not coming back as an immortal figure intertwining throughout massive historical events (like The Crusades) like a Roman Forrest Gump. Scott has also claimed this version of Gladiator II would’ve been a musical. Given how well Crowe’s Les Miserables pipes went over, it’s doubtful his crooning as Maximus would’ve garnered audience enthusiasm.

Gladiator II Now Reflects Legacy Sequel Norms

Since nearly Gladiator II’s very inception, Scott and company insisted that the feature involve Lucius “Hanno” Verus. It took nearly 25 years for a sequel to emerge, yet this creative team ended up circling back to an idea that was with the project from the start. Returning to this concept also allowed Gladiator II to fit snugly into the modern legacy sequel mold. Following Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Creed, it’s now common for sequels to beloved movies to focus on a younger generation taking over from previous protaganists. Mescal’s Verus is now part of a much larger modern cinematic tradition.

Cave and Crowe’s bold vision for what Gladiator II could become was certainly a unique experience that wouldn’t have just rehashed the legacy sequel norms infiltration everything from Ghostbusters: Afterlife to Tron: Legacy. However, given that major studio films tend to sand off the edges of really weird concepts, it’s likely this incarnation of Gladiator II would’ve arrived in theaters a bit of a shell of its greatest, most bizarre potential. Maybe this iteration of Gladiator II should stay in people’s minds, where it can be as delightfully preposterous as you can imagine.