Ridley Scott speaks in a Gladiator II filming incident that put crew members in hospital. A sequel to Scott’s Oscar-winning historical epic Gladiatorreleased in 2000, Gladiator II continues its story based on the Roman Empire telling the story of Lucius, son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus. The film has been receiving a lot of attention and press ahead of its release on November 22, as audiences and critics eagerly await the next chapter in this franchise. Gladiator II features a main cast that includes Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Fred Hechinger and Paul Mescal.
Talking to The Hollywood ReporterScott describes a terrifying on-set incident he sent Gladiator II crew members to the hospital. Firstly, Scott’s production was extreme enough to see the production running up to 11 cameras at once. The enormous scale of the production led to several accidents, including a monkey attack on actor Hechinger, as well as a fire gone wrong. The fire accident was even more serious, as some crew members had to go to the hospital to be treated for burns. Scott comments on the situation below:
They were fine, but they were burned – a shame.
What this means for Gladiator II
Its large scale came at a price
Accidents suffered on the set of Gladiator II are ultimately a testament to the intensity of the film’s production. Made on an estimated budget of $103 million, Scott’s sequel was an expensive undertaking. Gladiator II spent his budget on making huge sets (like a reconstructed Colosseum), intense fight training and exaggerated stunts. The monkey and fire elements were part of this process, but unfortunately it didn’t go as well as the team planned.
Throughout the Gladiator II trailers and promotion of the film, the enormous scale of the production was heavily emphasized. This makes sense, as spectacle is a big draw for many of Scott’s films, and especially his historical epics. Unfortunately, it appears that the nature of these awe-inspiring photos was not as glamorous off-screen as it manifested itself on-screen. Although this should not affect the final product of the Gladiator IIthe dangerous production environment could damage the film’s reputation.
Our take on the Gladiator II set crashes
Gladiator II may have taken things too far
Even seasoned actors like Washington reported being impressed and surprised by the scale of the Gladiator IIproduction. Descriptions of these accidents show, however, that bigger does not always mean better from a production point of view. Gladiator II It will likely do well in theaters, but this weekend will be an important indicator of how it will fare overall at the box office. Hopefully its box office returns should generate enough money to Gladiator II to justify its big budget and risky production.
Source: THR