Ridley Scott, who took two decades to revisit the Roman Colosseum with Gladiator II, is already thinking ahead to a potential third installment in the epic saga.
When asked about his next project, the 86-year-old director expressed interest in jumping straight into Gladiator III. “There’s already an idea,” Scott revealed, adding that he’s drawing inspiration from The Godfather Part II for the direction of the new story.
The news of Gladiator 3 surfaced after a French publication, Premiere, reported similar comments from Scott.
Gladiator II is set to hit theaters on Nov. 22, marking 20 years since the release of the original Gladiator, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. The new film stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Connie Nielsen.
Scott, known for his prolific work rate, often manages to release two films in a single year. His next major project is a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount, with a script penned by Gladiator writer John Logan and Joe Penhall. The film is expected to begin production next year, with shoots planned in London and Miami.
Interestingly, Scott isn’t the only filmmaker drawing from The Godfather Part II for gladiatorial themes. Director Roland Emmerich recently mentioned that the second season of his TV show Those About to Die will also take inspiration from the iconic 1974 film, particularly in its use of flashbacks. While Emmerich focuses on structural elements, Scott is looking to explore similar thematic ideas for Gladiator 3. Both projects share a connection to the same source material, Daniel P. Mannix’s novel Those About to Die, which also influenced the first Gladiator film.
As for Gladiator II, Scott is optimistic. He previously stated at Cinemacon in April that the sequel could be “even more extraordinary than the first,” where he also debuted the first footage from the much-anticipated film.