The mixed reception toGladiator 2proves that the best sequels toRidley Scottmovies aren’t directed by Ridley Scott himself.Gladiator 2has proven to be a box office success, and it’s received mostly positive reviews from critics, but it hasn’t matched the universal acclaim of its predecessor. The debate rages on as to whether or notGladiatoreven needed a sequel. The first film explored the notion that today’s actions will have implications for tomorrow and echo in eternity, but it was a perfect standalone story; it didn’t need another movie showing those eternal echoes.
But Scott decided to make a sequel toGladiatoranyway. Heretconned Lucius to be Maximus’ illegitimate sonand set him off on his own path to becoming a champion gladiator while quietly plotting his revenge against Rome’s corrupt rulers.Gladiator 2has proven to be more successful and satisfying than most legacy sequels, but it doesn’t quite rank alongside the all-time greats, likeThe Empire Strikes BackandThe Godfather Part II. This confirmsa sad reality about sequels to Scott’s movies: the very best ones aren’t helmed by Scott himself.
The Best Sequels To Ridley Scott Movies Weren’t Made By Ridley Scott
Aliens & Blade Runner 2049 Were Directed By Other Filmmakers
The best sequels to Scott’s movies have been directed by other filmmakers.Aliens, the 1986 sequel to Scott’s horror masterpieceAlien, was directed by James Cameron, whileBlade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to Scott’s sci-fi noirBlade Runner, was directed by Denis Villeneuve. These are easily the two greatest sequels to Scott’s movies (and two of the greatest sequels ever made) and they’re two that Scott didn’t direct himself.Aliensswitched to the action genre for a brand-new moviegoing experience, andBlade Runner 2049flipped the human/replicant dynamic on its head for a new take on the story.
This success can partly be attributed to the fact thatnew filmmakers bring fresh eyes to a franchise. If Scott had directed the sequels toAlienandBlade Runner, he would’ve just rehashed what he’d done before. ButCameron and Villeneuve came in with their own visionfor those stories and their universes. Scott’s work onGladiator 2further proves this. He still has a sharp eye for battle scenes, butGladiator 2is pretty much a remakeof its predecessor. If a different filmmaker had taken it on, it might’ve veered more in its own direction.
Ridley Scott-Directed Sequels (Or Prequels) Are Mixed
Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, & Gladiator 2 Have All Been Hit-And-Miss
So far, Scott has directed three sequels to his movies (although two of them are technically prequels). In 2012, he returned to theAlienuniverse withPrometheus, which used a Biblical allegory to explore the origins of the xenomorphs. In 2017, he returned to theAlienfranchise again with a follow-up toPrometheusentitledAlien: Covenant, which continued the xenomorph origin storyline while going back to the series’ horror roots with another haunted-house-in-space premise. And now, in 2024, Scott has made a sequel toGladiatorabout Lucius’ own journey from soldier to slave to champion.
None of these movies have been bad per se, but they’ve certainly been polarizing — especially compared to Scott’s original films, which have been ranked among the greatest movies ever made.
None of these movies have been bad per se, but they’ve certainly been polarizing — especially compared to Scott’s original films, which have been ranked among the greatest movies ever made. All three of Scott’s prequels and sequels have their own issues. The biggest problem withPrometheusis thatit didn’t fit what audiences expect from anAlienmovie. It has moments of body horror, but it’s mostly an existentialist sci-fi epic about how the human race came to be. The characters make distractingly stupid decisions, and it asks a lot more questions than it answers.
Prometheus Was Always An Underrated Alien Movie & I’m Delighted It’s Finally Getting Its Due
Prometheus has always been one of the Alien franchise’s most underrated entries, and I’m glad it’s finally getting the appreciation it deserves.
Alien: Covenantwas a welcome return to the horror genre, but it pales in comparison to Scott’s originalAlienfilm from 1979. There are shocking moments of gore in that movie — particularly the gruesome chestburster — but it didn’t rely too much on the gore. Scott built a palpable sense of Hitchcockian tension throughout the film and only used jump scares to pay off long sequences of dread.Alien: Covenantrelies on jump scares and gratuitous gore without any of the build-upto earn it. Still, it had a jaw-dropping twist ending that redeemed some of its missteps.
On Rotten Tomatoes,Gladiator 2has a critics' score of 71% and an audience score of 83%.
Gladiator 2isn’t quite as divisive as theAlienprequels, but it hasn’t received the unanimous praise that the first film did. The movie’s 71% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes is “fresh” (just about), but it also suggests that a large chunk of the critic community was unimpressed by the sequel. Audiences are divided on whether or not the historical inaccuracies are enough to ruin the movie, and whether or not wild set-pieces involving monkeys and sharks makeGladiator 2a great movie or just a very entertaining movie.
Gladiator 2 Is Ridley Scott’s Best Sequel That He’s Directed
Gladiator 2 Is Definitely More Crowd-Pleasing Than The Alien Prequels
Gladiator 2might not quite live up to the first one, but it’s still the best sequel Scott has made to one of his films. It’s certainly the more crowd-pleasing of the three, andthe scale of it is extremely impressive, even if it’s not quite as ambitious as the original in terms of its story and themes. Paul Mescal might not have Russell Crowe’s chops as an action hero, but he does share his gravitas and dramatic abilities, and gives an equally compelling performance as theGladiatorsequel’s new hero.
How Gladiator 2 Sets Up Gladiator 3 & What Ridley Scott Has Said About Making It
The ending of Gladiator 2 leaves the door open for Gladiator 3, and Ridley Scott has already discussed some of his ideas for the potential threequel.
Pedro Pascal’s Acaciusgives the sequel a much more sympathetic villain than the first film’s Commodus, and Denzel Washington’s Macrinus brings a lot more comic relief than the original had. Scenes involving bare-knuckle brawls with monkeys, a bullfight with an armored rhino, and a staged naval battle with miniature ships and hungry sharksmakeGladiator 2a must-see blockbuster spectacle to behold on the biggest screen possible. It might not be the masterpiece thatGladiatorwas, butGladiator 2is still a wildly entertaining ride.
Ridley Scott’s Sequels Still Deserve A Lot Of Praise
Just because Scott’s sequels have never lived up to the originals, it doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of praise.Gladiator 2is impressive blockbuster filmmaking, even if it’s unlikely to have the staying power of the original.Scott’sAlienprequelsare among the better installments in that franchise; they have plenty of interesting ideas and they’re better than most of the non-Scott sequels, with the exception ofAliens(and, arguably,Alien: Romulus). Scott might not have made the greatest sequels of all time, but his sequels are far from the worst.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
