Why Ridley Scott Reportedly Blames Paul Mescal For Gladiator 2's Box Office

Paramount Pictures

The bloody skirmishes in "Gladiator II" had nothing on the carnage that ensued off-camera. Historians began ripping the "Gladiator" sequel a new one over its blatant inaccuracies even before it reached theaters in 2024, while cinematographer John Mathieson publicly aired his grievances over the way director Ridley Scott went about filming his trip back to the Roman fighting arena. Critics, by comparison, were polite to Scott's swords-and-sandals rumpus, although "Gladiator" star Russell Crowe had some pretty choice words to say on the matter. On top of all that, the movie only made a smidge more at the box office than its predecessor did 24 years prior despite being far, far more expensive. Hey, at least it had Christopher Nolan in its corner!

Be that as it may, the "Gladiator" sequel's commercial performance might have affected more than just Scott's early plans for "Gladiator 3." Initially, the filmmaker was gearing up to reunite with his "Gladiator II" leading man Paul Mescal on "The Dog Stars," only for the actor to step away from the post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel adaptation reportedly due to scheduling issues with Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles biopic (where Mescal is playing Paul McCartney). Except, per Puck's Matthew Belloni, the truth is apparently messier than that.

Indeed, according to some of Belloni's sources, Scott blamed Mescal for the way "Gladiator II" went over with the masses. The filmmaker, it would seem, felt that the actor wasn't "masculine" enough to pull off his role as lead Lucius Verus Aurelius, who learns that he's secretly the son of Crowe's late gladiatorial champ Maximus Decimus Meridius from the original "Gladiator." However, Belloni's other sources claim Mendes pressured Mescal into abandoning "The Dog Stars" to get back at Scott for unwittingly revealing the actor's Beatles casting ahead of the official announcement.

Paramount Pictures

Just when you thought the fictional showbiz bedlam on Apple TV's "The Studio" was over the top ... For what it's worth, Ridley Scott's rep told Entertainment Weekly that Puck's report is "not true," stating that the director was "excited" to reunite with Paul Mescal on "The Dog Stars," but, "Sadly, Paul's rehearsal schedule for another film prevented him from ultimately doing Ridley's film." Even so, if Scott, off the record, does secretly think that Mescal's turn as Lucius was the element that held his "Gladiator" sequel back from greatness, I'd have to respectfully disagree.

Story-wise, "Gladiator II" has Lucius repeating Maximus' arc from its predecessor, with the character losing his family, being forced to become a gladiator, and seeking revenge against those who wronged him. That's all fine and dandy for a legacy sequel like this, and Scott stages the sword-banging spectacle with his expected technical acumen (even if it does feel like he's operating on autopilot a little). No, the real creative issue with the film is that Scott's too irreverent these days to treat the rousing speeches and scenes of male camaraderie here as sincerely as he did in the first "Gladiator." Instead, the storyteller's clearly way more invested in Denzel Washington's Macrinus, as the formerly enslaved ex-fighter uses Lucius as a pawn to help him gain power, than whatever's happening with the movie's actual lead.

Regardless, "The Dog Stars" has roundly flopped at the box office, so it's no skin off Mescal's nose that he missed out on the film. As for Scott? He's currently hyping a possible reunion with his prized murder-bot David (Michael Fassbender) on a new "Alien" flick, so he's certainly not letting all that "Gladiator" trouble slow him down.