Gladiator IIhas been getting a lot of attention recently as the long-awaited sequel to a classic, butRidley Scottdirected an even better historical epic a few years ago that was criminally underrated,The Last Duel— and it’s currently streaming on Hulu. A couple of weeks ago,Gladiator IImade its streaming debut on Paramount+, so audiences who missed it in theaters have been catching up on it and audiences who did see it in theaters are rewatching it and reevaluating it. TheGladiatorsequel is the latest in a long line of historical epics directed by Scott.
While he’s come under fire for his lax approach to historical accuracy, Scott has been rightly praised for his ability to bring historical settings to life and stage thrilling large-scale battle sequences.Napoleonis a darkly comic character studythat presents a notorious tyrant as a petulant child.Kingdom of Heavenis a riveting portrayal of the Crusades whose shortcomings were rectified in a brilliant director’s cut.Gladiator IIis Scott’s latest foray into the genre, and marks his return to the swords-and-sandals world of his earlier masterpiece,Gladiator. It was successful, but Scott helmed an even better epic recently.
Ridley Scott Made A Better Historical Epic 4 Years Before Gladiator 2
The Last Duel Is One Of Scott’s Best Recent Movies
Four years before pulling the trigger on his long-gestating sequel toGladiator, Scott directed an even better historical epic, 2021’sThe Last Duel.The Last Duelrevolves around the last officially sanctioned duel in French history. Matt Damon leadsthe cast ofThe Last Duelas Sir Jean de Carrouges, a celebrated knight who’s often sent away into battle. Jodie Comer plays his neglected wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, and Adam Driver plays his fellow squire, Jacques le Gris. While Jean is out at war, Jacques breaks into Marguerite’s home and sexually assaults her.
The Last Duelmarked Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s first screenwriting collaboration since their Oscar-winning script forGood Will Hunting. They co-wroteThe Last Duelwith Nicole Holofcener, who brought a much-needed female perspective to the story.
The Last Duelhas aRashomon-style structure telling the same story from three different perspectives: first from Jean’s jealous, patriarchal perspective, then from Jacques’ disgustingly unscrupulous perspective, and finally from the most important perspective of all, Marguerite’s. It’sa poignant exploration of the modern conversations around the #MeToo movement through a medieval lens. Although it didn’t get the recognition it deserved when it was released (following a lengthy COVID-related delay),The Last Duelis easily one of Scott’s best recent movies. It’s up there withThe Martianas one of his finest efforts from the past decade.
Gladiator 2’s Box Office Didn’t Fully Make Up For The Last Duel
Gladiator 2 Did Well, But Not As Well As Expected
It’s no secret thatScott has had some struggles at the box office in recent years, andThe Last Duelwas a major example of that.The Last Duelwas a full-blown box office bomb,grossing a paltry $26 million worldwide against a hefty production budget of $100 million. With plenty of hype and a massive marketing push from the studio,Gladiator IIwas expected to mark a box office comeback for Scott. It did better thanThe Last Duel, but it still wasn’t a bona fide blockbuster like one would expect from a legacy sequel to a classic movie.
Gladiator 2 Exposes A Harsh Reality For Ridley Scott Movies
Gladiator 2’s mixed reception proves that the best Ridley Scott sequels aren’t directed by Ridley Scott. Scott’s own sequels are a mixed bag.
Gladiator II’s global box office haul was $460.5 million, which fell just short of the first movie’s worldwide gross of $465.5 million. That might sound like a decent gross, but there’s been a lot of inflation in the past 25 years.Gladiator II’s gross is much less impressive in 2024 dollars thanGladiator’s gross was in 2000 dollars. Plus,Gladiator IIhad a much bigger budget than its predecessor. With a production cost of $250 million,Gladiator IIhad a break-even point of around $500 million, so it may not have turned a profit.
Hopefully, Ridley Scott Keeps Making Historical Epics
Scott Is A Master Of This Genre
Scott is a true master of the historical epic genre. Hopefully, he’ll keep coming back to the genre — and, hopefully, studios will keep giving him the budget to do so.It takes a lot of money to pull off battle scenes like the ones seen inThe Last Duel,Gladiator II, andNapoleon, but it’s worth it to see those battle scenes projected onto a giant screen, with the sounds of cannons firing, horses galloping, and swords clashing blaring out of the speakers.
Ridley Scott has started developing a story for Gladiator III, so he’s entertaining the idea of sticking around in this cinematic sandbox.
Throughout his career, Scott has nailed plenty of genres. He’s helmedsci-fi classics likeBlade RunnerandAlien, as well as contemporary thrillers likeThelma & LouiseandBlack Hawk Down. But the historical epic seems to be the genre he’s best suited to (shaky historical accuracy aside), andThe Last Duelproves it.Scott has started developing a story forGladiator III, so he’s entertaining the idea of sticking around in this cinematic sandbox.
