Ridley Scott on returning for “Gladiator II”: “I kept thinking about it”

The original Gladiator debuted nearly 25 years ago, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Now, director Ridley Scott is returning to ancient Rome with the long-awaited sequel, “Gladiator II” which hits theaters Friday. 

The film stars Denzel Washington,  Connie Nielsen, and Pedro Pascal in a story set in the same brutal Roman Empire —one that didn’t leave Scott’s mind in the years since its first release.

“Well, since ‘Gladiator’ one, I made 17 big movies. I was quite busy,” Scott said. 

But he admitted, “During that time, I kept thinking, well, we should be doing ‘Gladiator II.'”

A new hero in the arena

Scott brings a fresh take on the same empire fans loved in the first movie. 

In the original film, Russell Crowe played Maximus, a general-turned-gladiator battling for honor. This time, the spotlight is on Irish actor Paul Mescal, who stars as a slave fighting for his freedom in the same empire.

Scott, who studied art before becoming a filmmaker, started crafting the sequel’s storyboards before the script was even complete. 

“I’m already thinking … images. I’m drawing as [the writer] is writing. So when I enter on the set, I’ve already pre-planned everything,” Scott said. “It’s very efficient because we did ‘Gladiator’ in 51 days.”

The sequel opens with an ambitious attack scene involving three full-scale Roman ships. 

“I’m going to make three full-scale real ships,” Scott said, explaining how they were mounted on massive industrial movers. “Each trolley is about 100 feet long.”

While Scott embraces old-school filmmaking, he’s also excited about modern tools like CGI.

While Gladiator II features thrilling battles, Scott says the film also explores timeless themes and reflects on the constants of human nature, cruelty and violence.

 “It reminds you that Rome would have Christians walked into that arena and eaten alive. Men, women, and children—for fun,” he said. “What on earth was in the minds of Romans in that particular point? And have we come very far away from that? It’s extraordinary that’s still happening. We don’t learn by history.”

The challenge of a sequel

At 86, Scott admitted it was daunting to follow up on his original masterpiece. “In a funny kind of way, I feel like I’m in a sport. It is competitive,” he said. “You’re fighting yourself and your own fear and your own insecurity.”

When asked about his favorite part of the movie, Scott said, “I think I’m relieved it is so embraced. And so I’m the favorite as the whole movie. It’s pretty good.”

“Gladiator II” is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global. “Gladiator II” hits theaters on Friday, Nov. 22.

Elizabeth Palmer

Elizabeth Palmer is CBS News’ senior foreign correspondent. She is based in the CBS News London Bureau, and reports on major events across Europe and the Middle East. Palmer was previously based in Tokyo, and before that in Moscow, for CBS News.