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| Image Credit: Paramount Pictures |
There is perhaps no other director who is as synonymous with the extended or director’s cut as Ridley Scott. The legendary director has long been known for cutting tons of his original vision to make things more concise for theatrical release. From the original Gladiator to the iconic final cut of Blade Runner to the groundbreaking version of Kingdom of Heaven, Scott has a history of making alternate cuts of his impactful films. Take, for example, his 2023 film Napoleon.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Emperor of France, the historical epic was simply overflowing with action and drama as Scott charted the life course of the divisive leader. In 2 hours and 38 minutes, Scott wove a story as complex as the man himself, and yet somehow, even at nearly three hours long, there was a lot to cut. So when it was announced that Scott would be releasing his three-and-a-half-hour director’s cut on Apple TV+, audiences weren’t exactly shocked. With Scott’s latest film, Gladiator II, just around the corner, fans are already wondering if there will be a director’s cut to follow. After all, that was the case with the original 2000 film, with an extra 15 minutes added to the special cut.
Luckily, Collider had that question on its mind when it sat down with Scott and the sequel’s star, Paul Mescal. Revealing that he’s gotten to the point in his career where he can’t mess around anymore, Scott said: “No, I’ve earned the right to have my final cut. I have the final cut anyway, so the cut that comes out is usually my fault. It’s my cut. I’m going to go around in circles. I’m not going to get to the end and then start cutting — God knows that would take too long. I cut as I go, and I think it’s good to cut as you go because you have to see how you’re doing it and how everyone’s doing it.”
Paul Mescal wouldn’t be mad if there was a director’s cut of Gladiator II
Pushing on his sandals and stepping into the Colosseum, Mescal plays Lucius in Gladiator II, the character first played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original film. Introduced to audiences as the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Lucius Verus, recent trailers have revealed that Lucius is actually the son of Lucilla and Maximus (Russell Crowe), which is fine because his obsession with the latter’s gladiator endeavors has long been evident and will continue to be a driving force in his story in the sequel. As passionate about Scott’s work as the rest of us, Mescal has made it clear that he’d love to see a longer version of the film if one were available. Gladiator II hits theaters on November 22.
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