Gladiator 2 destined to succeed. Not only is it one of the most important films of 2024 (a major achievement in a year full of great performances), but it’s also a sequel that doesn’t disappoint. Moreover, it takes the essence of the original and takes it to a whole new dimension. Imperial Rome returns to cinema in all its splendor. But beyond that, director Ridley Scott knew how to approach the themes of loyalty, ideals and honor from the same redemptive point as the original film.
However, before the project for a sequel to the 2000 classic came to fruition, there were several attempts to continue the original story. This is despite the fact that the story of Maximus (Russell Crowe) ended happily and without any loose ends. Namely: the Roman commander not only fully realized his revenge. He also killed his nemesis, Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Finally, he asked that Rome return to the ideals that had sustained it and made it the center of the world. Something that seemed possible after Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) demanded that The brave character will be honored, and his memory will be honored with loyalty and respect.
But Gladiator It was not only a box office success (almost $500 million), but also a critical success. Which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture and Best Actor. Thus, the sequel became a goal attractive enough to consider several ideas. From a premise that explores what happened after the events of the original, to a story about several surviving characters. The truth is that this interest attracted all sorts of conditions and possibilities. But not a single such case involved the Australian musician and writer Nick Cave.
The craziest story for Maximus
By the 2000s, while various prospects for a possible sequel were trying to find safe ground, Nick Cave was approached to write a script that would explore Rome. It would be much better to include – due to some inaccuracies in the script – the presence of Russell Crowe’s Maximus. By that time, Cave had hardly been credited with a single story on the big screen: west 2005, John Hillcoat, Offer. But this did not stop him from accepting the offer. Moreover, you can start working right away. Only by approaching the story from a completely different perspective than the one provided screenwriters David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson for the original film.
Much of the musician and writer’s career has been devoted to exploring the duality of good and evil. Most of his lyrical work, essays and articles are devoted to the search for the point of connection between the divine and the earthly. Always due to the presence of a mystical bridge or powerful figures who could redefine reality through their actions and decisions. So, instead of delving into the more realistic, historical and practical side of the context Gladiator, Cave decided to analyze the more philosophical aspects of history in a hypothetical Gladiator 2.
Always from this point of view, the writer, also known for his interest in esoteric topics, decided to explore divinity. This was from a perspective that made it clear that, despite his best efforts, Maximus had not yet fully fulfilled his purpose. It was therefore necessary that, in addition to returning to life – a fantastic event that Cave was approaching from the promise of eternity – he also had a goal to achieve. This has become something of a guiding spirit in all of humanity’s great conflicts, from Rome to World War II.
Headless sequel
Always, according to Cave’s argument, in the possible Gladiator 2Maximus wakes up in Elysium. It is essentially a Roman afterlife, the ethereal landscapes of which can be seen in the final scenes that recreate the character’s death. But instead of enjoying eternal peace, he ends up in a place inhabited by all kinds of criminals, from where the only way to escape is to fulfill a high destiny. What Maximus accepts and causes him to wake up in Lyon, many years after his death. in the body of a dying Christian wounded during a Roman massacre.
The miraculously resurrected Maxim goes to Rome. That means finding his old friend Juba (Djimon Hounsou) again. Together they will combine forces and strategy to confront Lucius, son of Lucilla and nephew of Commodus, now emperor and just as cruel as his relative. All to achieve the long-awaited atonement that would allow him to finally reunite with his wife and son, lost in the afterlife. Things that never happen because Maximus cannot fulfill his goal of stopping Lucius.
In the end, Maximus finds himself sentenced to eternity. Therefore, in the last part of the film he participates in various military conflicts. In fact, the draft script describes a montage of how it would be seen in The Crusades, World War II, and The Vietnam War. In conclusion, here is an image of a character working today at the Pentagon in the United States. This means that Maximus is still fighting for Find a way to atone for your sins and return to eternity.
Reaction to an unprecedented idea
As expected, the idea stumped executives, producers, and even potential sequel actors. Part of the mythology surrounding the failed sequel is that when Russell Crowe got the script, he was furious. And then he returned the stack of papers with a simple note: “I don’t like this, friend.” However, Ridley Scott tried to bring at least part of the story to life. but in the end he had to admit that it was an unattractive project.
Nick Cave would later say that he knew it was an impossible project, which explains his enthusiasm for daring to write such a story. But, in addition to the originality of the hypothetical plot, the anecdote continues to amaze with its strange ability to show the possibilities of the world of cinema. For Hollywood history.
Source: Hiper Textual
