Ridley Scott Teases Turning the Gladiator Franchise into A Trilogy

Though the TikTok trend about the Roman Empire may have faded, Ridley Scott remains impressed by it.

As he prepares for the release of Gladiator II, set to premiere on November 15 internationally and November 22 in the US and Canada, the Oscar-nominated director has hinted at plans for a third film in the series, potentially rounding out the trilogy.

In a recent interview with French magazine Premiere, Scott shared his thoughts: “I’m already toying with the idea of Gladiator 3. No, seriously! I’ve lit the fuse…”

He went on to explain that the ending of Gladiator II is similar to The Godfather, where Michael Corleone finds himself in a position he didn’t want and asks, “Now, Father, what do I do?” Scott added, “The next [film] will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”

While Paramount has made no official comment on the future of the franchise, the original Gladiator (2000), directed by Scott and starring Russell Crowe, was a monumental success, winning several Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

*Gladiator II* stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the nephew of Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix in the first film) who witnessed Maximus’ death at the hands of his uncle. Now grown, Lucius must enter the Colosseum to fight for Rome’s glory once again.

The sequel also boasts a star-studded cast, including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role as Lucius’ mother, Lucilla, from the original film.

Quinn previously shared his admiration for the 86-year-old director, praising Scott’s “thirst for life and also filmmaking” on the set of the highly anticipated sequel.