Director Ridley Scott gives us an exclusive on three of his planned upcoming films, including his Bee Gees biopic and Gladiator III.
Gladiator II is due out this month, but as is customary with one of filmmaking’s most prolific directors, Ridley Scott is already thinking two or more movies ahead.
When we spoke to the 86 year-old auteur in September, he told us that he’s already storyboarded and partly written Gladiator III – a second sequel that will presumably be given a greenlight quite rapidly if this autumn’s sword-and-sandal epic is a hit.
In fact, Scott began thinking about – and drawing – Gladiator III during last year’s Hollywood strikes. While much of the industry shut down as actors and writers hoisted their placards, the director found a quiet spot and started inking out his ideas. “With four months down, I just sat and prepared the next fuckin’ movie,” Scott said with a shrug. “I sat and drew boards for Gladiator [III]. So I’ve got the next three years laid out with three movies – they’re already written.”
As for what the film might be about, he didn’t give away too much, but suggested it might not include the same colosseum-based violence we saw in the 2000 original and this year’s follow-up, starring Paul Mescal. “If I do Gladiator III,” he said, “I think we’ll try to sidestep the arena. Glad II had to have the arena… I think I have a good footprint, yeah.”
Scott’s next project, however, is his musical biopic about 70s disco band, the Bee Gees – written by John Logan, it’s reportedly called You Should Be Dancing (Sylvester Stallone already took Staying Alive).
Read more: Ridley Scott says he’s directing a mystery sci-fi film (exclusive)
When asked whether the idea of making a music biopic attracted him to the project – which at one stage would have been directed by Kenneth Branagh – Scott replied that he’s been “dying to do a musical.” He then added that the story of three brothers and their rise to prominence in the 60s and 70s particularly interested him.
“There’s a certain amount of tragedy,” Scott said, making a pun which may or may not have been intentional. “But from the beauty of their music, which are kind of rock, anthem ballads, they were as big as anybody – they were at the same level as The Beatles or The Stones, it was just quite different music.”
Scott then said that the film will be not just about the Gibb brothers and their musical success, but also the wider musical scene of the 60s and 70s era. The plot will also find room to take in the work of Robert Stigwood, a music mogul and film producer who managed both the Bee Gees and another hugely successful group of the time, Cream.
“I want to see people of the time – I want a bit of Jimi Hendrix and the other bands of the time,” Scott told us. “We’re doing a very good period with Robert Stigwood through the 60s and 70s. Robert Stigwood, without question, was talented at spotting bands, but he also was big on theatre production, and he also did pretty well with a film called Saturday Night Fever, and Grease as well. I think he was the real impresario.”
You can read our full interview with Ridley Scott, and how he made Gladiator II, in the brand new, 168-page edition of Film Stories magazine. It’s available to purchase now.
