Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” was shown yesterday for the LA press. Reaction was through the roof.
We get to see it in New York on Monday. Will Scott finally win his Oscar for Best Director?
Believe it or not, at the 2001 Oscars Scott lost Best Director to Steven Soderbergh for “Traffic.” Best Picture and Actor among others went to “Gladiator.”
Now 24 years later, Scott could finally get his gold statue. He’s certainly due at age 86 — he’ll be 87 soon. His resume is filled with hit movies like the first “Gladiator,” “Blade Runner,” “Thelma and Louise,” and “The Martian.” He’s been nominated four times for Best Director but never won the big prize.
If “Gladiator II” lives up to the hype from yesterday, Paramount will be over the moon. They’ve had a roller coaster year after being sold, and need a blockbuster that can only be seen on the big screen.
“GII” stars Denzel Washington in a big cast with the two hottest young actors out there — Paul Mescal and Pedrol Pascal. The stars are aligned for success. We’ll know more on Monday.
