One of the most highly anticipated films on the 2024 movie schedule has to be Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The first Gladiator was that rare movie that was both a box office smash and a major award winner. This means the sequel is going to have quite a high bar to clear, but Ridley Scott seems quite confident that it will do just that.
Speaking with Empire, Ridley Scott didn’t mince words regarding Gladiator II. He initially called it the best movie he’s ever made, which is an incredible statement for a director with his pedigree to make. Ultimately, Scott did dial the praise for his newest film back, but only slightly, saying:
It’s the best thing I’ve ever made. One of the best things. I’ve made a few good ’uns.
The director is clearly being modest here. To say that Ridley Scott has “made a few good ‘uns” is a pretty significant understatement. This is the man behind Alien, Blade Runner and Black Hawk Down. The best Ridley Scott movies are among some of the best movies ever made, period.
He’s been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times. While not every film Scott has made has become an instant classic, he’s delivered often enough great movies that he likely knows when he’s made something special. Whatever you think Ridley Scott’s best movie is, he thinks Gladiator II is in that league.
When you look at something like Kingdom of Heaven, a movie that is one of the few times that a Director’s Cut has truly elevated the material compared to a theatrical cut, then you can see just how good Ridley Scott can be when he’s firing on all cylinders. According to Scott himself, this is one of those times.
Of course, Ridley Scott better be right, because all he’s doing is getting me hyped up for Gladiator II. I can’t argue that the Gladiator II trailer makes the movie look absolutely incredible, at least visually. Scott calls it “full bore brutal action” and certainly that’s the way it’s being presented. But if the movie really is some of Ridley Scott’s best work, then there’s a lot more going on than just incredible cinematography.
Honestly, it fits. I still remember sitting down to watch the original Gladiator on opening weekend, not honestly expecting much out of it, and being blown away by how good it was. Going into Gladiator II, people are going to be expecting something as good as the first, and if it is even better than that, it will rank among Ridley Scott’s best. That’s an exciting prospect. We’ll find out if it really is that good when the Gladiator II release date arrives this fall.