Gladiator II star Joseph Quinn was amazed at the level of commitment and control that Ridley Scott had while making the sequel.
Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott turns 87 this November, the same month he releases his latest movie, Gladiator II. Only twice in his career has he ever gone four years without making a picture. So, no, his passion for film isn’t even close to dwindling.
This something that Joseph Quinn – who plays Geta in Gladiator II – picked up on, noting quickly that Ridley Scott was a master on the set in the way he commanded and controlled both himself and everything around him. “Watching him negotiate these brutal shoot days… as you said, he’s not 32 anymore. But he conducts himself with such a vigor, and thirst, for life and also filmmaking, still—he just loves it, and that is very infectious. Working with him… I was never expecting to do that, obviously, and so I was incredibly grateful.”
One of the goals for Quinn, along with much of the rest of the cast, was to “be present” and give everything they possibly could. Through this – and the commitment of Ridley Scott – they could create a world in Gladiator II they hope wows audiences as much as it did in 2000. “Outside of making the film itself, it was a very rare experience as a human being to bare witness to ancient Rome. He built ancient Rome! Not a lot of people can do that—Ridley Scott can.” Quinn added, “He is a world builder. He creates these films that utterly transport you, and that is a very rare thing to be able to do.”
Last year’s Napoleon may not have landed as the sweeping epic Ridley Scott had hoped, but this fall’s Gladiator II – which, like Napoleon, has a similar Oscar-friendly release window – might be achieving that, as it has been said that the sequel has has some of the most grand action sequences ever captured.
Certainly such sequences were made possible with the wild budget, pegged at more than $300 million. As such, Gladiator II is yet another monumental gamble from Ridley Scott. But we – like many of our readers – have faith that he can do the story justice and won’t have us questioning if we are entertained. The trailer is set to
Are you looking forward to Gladiator II? Do you think the original has stood the test of time?