‘Gladiator’ Sequel In The Works From Director Ridley Scott

Almost two decades after the release of his Oscar-winning 2000 film, Gladiator, director and producer, Ridley Scott is reportedly moving forward with developing a sequel.

Gladiator earned $460 million worldwide at the box office which revived the historical drama genre that had been out of sight for decades. It also won five Oscars, including best picture and best actor for Russell Crowe, who played Maximus, a once-powerful Roman general who was forced to become a gladiator.

Peter Craig, most known for his screenplay writing in The Hunger Games and Top Gun: Maverick, will be writing the screenplay for the film. Scott, who won an Oscar nomination for best director for the original, is also set to direct.

Scott’s first film followed the character Maximus as he lost his position and family and becomes an enslaved gladiator who later challenges and defeats Emperor Commodus. The sequel is expected to focus on Lucius, the nephew of Emperor Commodus, played in 2000 by Spencer Treat Clark. 

SLIDESHOW: DONALD TRUMP’S 30 CRAZIEST TWEETS

This isn’t the first time that someone has attempted to make a sequel to the film, as Gladiator star, Crowe had previously tried to.

Crowe asked his friend and singer/songwriter and screenwriter Nick Cave to write a script. While speaking about the idea in 2013, Cave told WTF podcast that he enjoyed writing the script, but knew that it was never going to get made. 

There has been no news on the film’s release date or when production will begin, as Scott is currently also working on his first television series, By Wolves for TNT, and he’s in talks for a Disney movie about the wizard Merlin.