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When Ridley Scott made Gladiator, Connie Nielsen did not expect to return over two decades later for the sequel, Gladiator II. And yet, here she is.
Speaking to ClutchPoints at the Gladiator II junket, Nielsen claims she never imagined the sequel happening. She did concede that she heard whispers of it, though.
“No, I certainly did not. I thought that was it,” she said. “I heard so much talk about it over the years, and I just started thinking, It's one of those things that are not going to happen.”
Eventually, the producers called Nielsen and promised she would be “happy” with the end product. Still, Nielsen described herself as “skeptical” despite the producers' reassurances.
What sold Nielsen was Scott's world-building and David Scarpa's script. She recalls seeing his vision come to fruition and being blown away by the script.
“When I then got the script, and we started seeing, Oh, he's really building this incredible story, and he's putting my character in this position that is just, for an actor, delicious to dive into,” she remembered.
She also thought that the castings in the Gladiator sequel were “fun.” Some of the newcomers to the franchise include Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal.
Not ruining the “perfect” first movie
For Nielsen, her skepticism stemmed from not wanting to ruin Gladiator's legacy. She described Scott's original movie as “perfect,” and a sequel two decades later could have ruined its reputation.
“I was really just scared,” Nielsen confessed. “Are we gonna be able to lift this to that level?”
Luckily, the cast and crew showed up to play.
“I think everyone was just so driven to lift it all the way up and to bring it to its maximum expression,” Nielsen explained. “And I think that's what you can feel — you can just feel everyone throwing everything they've got at it.”
Working with Ridley Scott on Gladiator II
Scott is one of the most iconic filmmakers in Hollywood, having made classics like Alien and Blade Runner. His mastery of the craft expands beyond what most expect from a director.
“Well, I don't know if everyone knows that he's a very accomplished visual artist,” Nielsen revealed. “So he can paint and draw anything on the spot.”
This means that Scott can make his sketches come to life. He also layers his sets, creating an immersive filming experience. Connie Nielsen described smelling the incense and feeling the fires burning, and the thousands of Roman soldiers walking around the Gladiator II set, calling it it the product of an “extraordinary machine that he has built” which helps him “execute any scene at any given time.”
Nielsen concluded by calling Scott's Gladiator II set an “extraordinary visual creation.” Hopefully, if Nielsen's services are needed for a Gladiator III, it does not take 24 years to make.
Gladiator II will be released on November 22.
