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After some confusion, Ridley Scott confirmed he’ll make his sci-fi pic “The Dog Stars“ (now starring Jacob Elordi instead of Paul Mescal) ahead of his Bee Gees biopic. And if Scott gets his way, he’ll shoot both projects this year. But why will fans of the disco-era supergroup need to wait a bit longer for that film to reach theaters?

Read More: Ridley Scott Wants To Make 2 Films This Year

IndieWire (via GQ) has the scoop there, and it comes down to dilly-dallying on the part of Paramount.

Continue reading Ridley Scott Explains Why He’ll Shoot ‘The Dog Stars’ Before His Bee Gees Biopic: Paramount “Changed The Goalposts” at The Playlist.

It’s officially Jacob Elordi’s year.

The rising star has a slew of projects being released in 2025, including Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant’s buzzy limited series “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” which will be premiering at Berlinale 2025 as a Special Gala.

The sales title series was in development for years at Fremantle before Elordi’s casting was announced in 2022; the project was a Sony Pictures Television production. The official logline reads: “A celebrated World War II hero is haunted by his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and memories of an affair that took place just before the war in this adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s 2013 Booker Prize-winning novel.”

Elordi plays lead character Dorrigo Evans, an Australian army surgeon imprisoned at a Pow camp. The original novel jumps across multiple periods of Evans’ life, from his affair as a young man with his uncle...

Harrison Ford is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, but the financiers on Blade Runner clearly weren’t paying attention because they had the unmitigated gall to question Ridley Scott’s choice to cast him in the leading role. Can you imagine questioning Harrison Ford? Or Ridley Scott, for that matter?

“Harrison Ford was not a star,” Scott told GQ. “He had just finished flying the Millennium Falcon in ‘Star Wars.’ I remember my financiers saying, ‘Who the f*** is Harrison Ford?’ And I said, ‘You’re going to find out.’ So Harry became my leading man.” Ford had just finished shooting Raiders of the Lost Ark at the time, and Steven Speilberg gave Scott the thumbs up when the director asked if he should hire the actor for Blade Runner.

I feel like those Blade Runner financiers hadn’t been going to the movies. Sure, Ford was at the beginning of his career,...

The making of the much-awaited Bee Gees movie has stopped at Paramount Pictures because of contract issues with director Ridley Scott. Instead of starting in early 2024 as originally planned, “You Should Be Dancing” will probably start filming in September.

Scott talked openly about the delay in a recent chat with GQ magazine. “The studio changed the terms of the deal,” he said. “I said, ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted.” The director, known for being straightforward, said, “I may cost a lot, but I’m good at what I do.”

While talks are still happening, Scott focuses on a different film project. He will start directing “The Dog Stars” in April. According to Paramount sources, Scott is still involved with the Bee Gees project, and filming will start in the fall of 2024.

The movie will share the story of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, who came from a...

Ridley Scott is teasing the Bee Gees biopic he is set to direct at Paramount, which has been delayed.

The Gladiator II director was set to start filming already, but after the studio “changed the goalposts,” the filmmaker opted to work on another film instead.

“The deal — the studio changed the goalposts,” Scott told GQ. “I said, ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warn you, I will walk, because I will go on to the next movie.’ They didn’t believe me, and I did.”

He continued, “I was being asked to go too far, and I said, ‘No. Next!’ They didn’t like my deal. So I said, I’ll move on. I’m expensive, but I’m fucking good.”

Scott is set to start filming The Dog Stars in April and expects to begin filming the Bee Gees biopic, which...

Ridley Scott continued his endless press tour in a new interview with GQ today, where he proudly talked shit about the studio behind his most recent success, Gladiator II. One would think the studio was happy enough with the returns of that movie to let this guy keep making these massive,...

Ridley Scott is meant to direct a biopic on the music icons the Bee Gees, but he revealed in an interview that he drove a hard bargain with the studio. So while it was previously reported the film would begin shooting early this year, the director now says disco fans will have to wait to put on their dancing shoes.

Scott said in an interview with GQ on Tuesday that Paramount, which released his most recent film “Gladiator II,” later “changed the goalposts” on his deal for the Bee Gees film (working title “You Should Be Dancing”). In turn, Scott instead will begin production on his film “The Dog Stars” for 20th Century Pictures first. “The Dog Stars” will start filming in April, and Scott hinted that the Bee Gees film could begin for Paramount by September.

“The deal — the studio changed the goalposts,” Scott said of the Paramount project.

Ridley Scott was originally slated to follow up Gladiator II with a biopic about the Bee Gees, the iconic musical group formed by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. However, Scott’s next project will instead be The Dog Stars. So, what happened? Turns out there has been some tension with Paramount Pictures, and Scott has been doing this long enough that he doesn’t have time for games, so he walked.

“The deal — the studio changed the goalposts,” Scott told GQ. “I said, ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warn you, I will walk, because I will go on to the next movie.’ They didn’t believe me, and I did. I was being asked to go too far. And I said, ‘No. Next!’ They didn’t like my deal. So I said, I’ll move on. I’m expensive, but I’m f***ing good.

Ridley Scott reveals the filming windows for his next two movies, and the production timeline will see the director breaking a longstanding tradition. At 87 years old, Scott remains as active as ever as a director, releasing Napoleon in 2023 and Gladiator 2 in 2024. He now has a number of new projects in the works, including a post-apocalyptic movie called The Dog Stars and a Bee Gees biopic called You Should Be Dancing.

During a recent interview with GQ, Scott reveals when he plans to bring these two movies to fruition. According to the filmmaker, both may be filmed in 2025, breaking his longstanding tradition of making one movie per year. The Dog Stars will come first this spring, with You Should Be Dancing then going into production later in the year. Check out Scott's comment below:

“We might do two movies. One in April and start the next one in September.”

More to come.

Ridley Scott revealed in a new interview with GQ magazine that his planned Bee Gees biopic at Paramount Pictures was set aside following some deal issues with the studio. Variety reported in February 2024 that Scott had boarded the movie, which GQ reports “was scheduled to begin shooting in early 2025” but has now hit a roadblock.

“The deal — the studio changed the goalposts,” Scott told the publication. “I said, ‘You can’t do that.’ They insisted. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to warn you, I will walk, because I will go on to the next movie.’ They didn’t believe me, and I did.”

Scott added that he expects to find common ground with Paramount on the deal and for the project to move forward sometime around September. In the meantime, the director has subbed in the post-apocalyptic thriller “The Dog Stars” for 20th Century as his next project to shoot in April.

Ridley Scott’s next film loses Paul Mescal to The Beatles, and brings Jacob Elordi in to headline The Dog Stars instead.

During his press tour for Gladiator II, Ridley Scott revealed to Film Stories that a sci-fi project had been added to his upcoming slate, that was going to be a quick reunion with Paul Mescal. However, according to Variety, the project will no longer be a continuation of the working relationship between Gladiator 2 director and star because Mescal has reportedly left the project.

Mescal starred in Scott’s belated sequel to 2000’s Gladiator and in the wake of the movie’s release, his performance choices have been the subject of much discussion, positive and less so. Ridley Scott is well known for hands-off direction when it comes to performances in his films and Mescal clearly enjoyed their collaboration given that he opted to work with Scott again...

Gold Derby’s top news stories for Jan. 7, 2025. BAFTA Rising Star Award nominees announced

Marisa Abela (Back to Black), Jharrel Jerome (Unstoppable), David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus), Mikey Madison (Anora), and Nabhaan Rizwan (In Camera) are the 2025 BAFTA Rising Star Award nominees. Now in its 20th year, the Rising Star Award is the only BAFTA honor voted on by the British public. The award has historically gone to Brits, which bodes well for Abela, Jonsson, and Rizwan (all of whom have also been on Industry). Last year’s winner was How to Have Sex star Mia McKenna-Bruce. Past winners include Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Will Poulter, John Boyega, Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, and Lashana Lynch. The last American champ was Kristen Stewart in 2010.

Abela and Madison could find themselves with two nominations as both were longlisted last week in Best Actress for their respective performances. BAFTA nominations will be announced Wednesday,...

The world is Jacob Elordi’s oyster after crushing his role as Felix Catton in Emerald Fennell’s sexy and psychotic thriller Saltburn and lining up projects like Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, new episodes of Euphoria, and reteaming with Fennell for her adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Unafraid to pile his plate high with promising parts, Jacob Elordi is in talks to join the cast of Ridley Scott’s pandemic thriller The Dog Stars.

The Dog Stars hails from 20th Century Studios and is based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. Initially, Scott was reteaming with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal for The God Stars, but scheduling conflicts with his part in Sam Mendes’ Beatles anthology kept him from participating. Sources say Mescal plays Paul McCartney in Mendes’ upcoming film, making him essential to the project.

Elordi would play Hig in The Dog Stars, a civilian pilot living a lonely...

Jacob Elordi just might be making his Ridley Scott debut: The actor is in talks to be replacing Paul Mescal in Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller “The Dog Stars,” based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel.

Mescal was originally set to have a “Gladiator II” reunion with director Scott for “The Dog Stars,” however, he had to exit after his casting as Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ four-part Beatles biopic. Yet now Elordi is expected to take his place. Variety first reported the casting negotiations. IndieWire has reached out to representatives for comment.

“The Dog Stars” centers on a pilot named Hig (Elordi) who befriends an ex-Marine gunman while battling a band of scavengers called Reapers. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society.

The screen adaptation was co-written by Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson (“Ali”). Smith and Cliff Roberts are producing “The Dog Stars,...

Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic movie The Dog Stars has lost its lead actor, and now Jacob Elordi is in talks to replace him.

According to Variety, Elordi is in talks to replace Gladiator 2's Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott's next movie, The Dog Stars.

More to come...

Source: Variety

The Dog Stars

The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott, is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly virus has decimated humanity. The film follows Hig, a pilot and survivor who mourns his wife while navigating the dangers posed by Reapers, the scavenging remnants of society.

Main Genre  Sci-FiGenres  Sci-Fi, AdventureCast  Paul MescalDirector  Ridley ScottWriters  Christopher Wilkinson, Mark L. Smith, Peter Heller...

Ridley Scott’s thriller feature The Dog Stars has found a new leading man.

Jacob Elordi is in early negotiations to replace Paul Mescal, who had been previously set to star in the 20th Century Studios movie. Mark L. Smith wrote the script, adapting Peter Heller’s 2012 apocalyptic novel of the same name.

The Dog Stars centers on a civilian pilot living on an abandoned airbase with his dog and an ex-Marine amid a devastating pandemic. A random transmission picked up by the pilot’s radio from his 1956 Cessna offers hope for a better life.

Smith and Cliff Roberts serve as producers on the film that hails from Scott’s Scott Free banner.

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report last month that Scott said at a Gladiator II screening that Mescal would likely drop out of reteaming with him in The Dog Stars due to the actor being busy...

It looks like Jacob Elordi could be taking over a major new role from Paul Mescal!

Paul was originally linked to star in Ridley Scott‘s upcoming apocalypse film The Dog Stars, but it looks like that is no longer happening.

Keep reading to find out more…

According to Variety, Paul ran into scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopics.

Now, Jacob is reportedly in “early negotiations” to portray “a pilot named Hig who befriends a cranky gunman as they try to outlast a roaming band of scavengers called Reapers.”

The movie is based on the 2012 book “The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller, which you can buy now from Walmart.

Here’s the book’s synopsis: Hig’s wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley. But when a...

Jacob Elordi is in early talks to lead The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller for 20th Century Studios, based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller, Deadline can confirm.

Elordi looks to step in for Scott’s Gladiator II star, Paul Mescal, who was forced to depart due to scheduling conflicts after being tapped to star in Sam Mendes’ Beatles anthology, where he’s rumored to be playing Paul McCartney. Scott first hinted at the possibility of Mescal’s exit in a December conversation with filmmaker Christopher Nolan on Gladiator II.

Set in a near future where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society, The Dog Stars will have Elordi playing Hig, a civilian pilot living a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine. The two men couldn’t be more mismatched but depend on each other to fend off roaming invaders.

The future is looking brighter again.

Jacob Elordi is in early negotiations to star in Ridley Scott‘s post-apocalyptic thriller “The Dog Stars” for 20th Century, replacing Paul Mescal, who ran into scheduling issues. Mescal, who stars in Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel, had been poised to star in the film about a catastrophic flu virus that wipes out nearly all of humanity. But he was forced to drop out due to filming Sam Mendes‘ Beatles anthology.

Based on a 2012 novel by Peter Heller, the “Dog Stars” screenplay was written by Mark L. Smith (“Twisters”) and Christopher Wilkinson (“Ali”) and is expected to be Scott’s next film after a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount. If his deal closes, as is expected, Elordi would play a pilot named Hig who befriends a cranky gunman as they try to outlast a roaming band of scavengers called Reapers.

During a December conversation with...

Is Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal’s reunion on hold? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Turns out, the pair, Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal, were set to tackle the apocalyptic drama The Dog Stars, however, in a plot twist worthy of Hollywood, Scott revealed that Mescal might be too busy with other big projects.

Mescal received endless praise for his role, giving us all the chills as Maximus’ vengeful son, Lucius. While The Gladiator duo was all set for another round of gritty storytelling, sometimes even the best plans get interrupted, this time, by another movie. Guess we’ll have to wait for this cosmic collaboration.

Ridley Scott Share Why He And Paul Mescal Won’t Work

Looks like Paul Mescal is about to be too busy for Ridley Scott’s next project. While the Gladiator 2 star was set to join the legendary director in The Dog Stars, the actor’s calendar...

From a Bee Gees biopic to a new Alien movie to a potential Gladiator III, Ridley Scott has a handful of exciting upcoming movie projects in the works. Scott is known as one of the hardest-working filmmakers in Hollywood. He hardly ever stops to take a break; by the time he finishes one project, the next one is underway. His latest movie, Gladiator II, is a mega-budget historical epic with impressive blockbuster scale. Last year, he released a different mega-budget historical epic, Napoleon. In 2021, he released The Last Duel and House of Gucci within six weeks of each other.

A lot of directors work one project at a time — they focus all their attention on one movie and don’t even start thinking of ideas for another one until it’s in the can — but Scott doesn’t work that way. Scott’s best movies were all produced in quick succession.

Though not yet confirmed by the studio, Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan appear to have roles in the upcoming films about each of the Beatles. Rumors about both actors’ connection to the films have swirled for months now, but sources outside of Sony Pictures have spoken about their casting. Some Beatles fans don’t seem all that happy with the casting of Mescal and Keoghan, who will play Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, respectively.

Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have seemingly been confirmed to play The Beatles

Mescal recently starred in Gladiator II and is slated to work with director Ridley Scott again in The Dog Stars. When asked about Mescal’s involvement in the project, Scott wondered if another film might get in the way. He seemingly confirmed Mescal’s rumored role as McCartney.

“Yes,” Scott said, per The Hollywood Reporter, before amending, “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up,...

Paul Mescal is about to become the most famous Paul M. in the world. The “Gladiator II” star is attached but not yet officially signed to play Paul McCartney in director Sam Mendes’ quartet of Beatles biopics, Variety reports.

Mescal’s “Gladiator II” director Ridley Scott, who does not have a filter, let the cat out of the bag during a Q&a session with Christopher Nolan at the DGA on Tuesday. While discussing the scheduling for his planned film “The Dog Stars,” Scott said that Mescal, who is also attached to that film, is busy with another project first. “Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next,” Scott said. Sources close to the Beatles production confirmed Scott’s claim to Variety.

Scott is the second loose-lipped British octogenarian to casually reveal major Beatles casting news; last month, Ringo Starr seemingly confirmed that Barry Keoghan (“Saltburn”) will be playing the Beatles drummer.

Ridley Scott revealed the surprising reason why his next collaboration with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal may not happen. Scott and Mescal teamed up for the first time for the long-awaited Gladiator II. In the epic sequel, Mescal played Lucius, who was revealed to be the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus from the first Gladiator movie. Mescal has received a lot of praise for his role, in which he seeks revenge against the Roman Empire for the death of his wife.

After working together on Gladiator II, it was revealed that Scott and Mescal may reunite for the upcoming movie The Dog Stars. The Dog Stars follows two men who are trying to survive in the near future after a pandemic has led to the collapse of American society. While it was previously reported that Mescal was in negotiations to star in the apocalyptic movie, Scott revealed that he...

Paul Mescal’s next major project looks set to be Sam Mendes’ much-discussed four-part biopic film series about The Beatles for Sony Pictures.

The casting — which was first rumoured in the summer — was brought up by Mescal’s “Gladiator 2” director Ridley Scott in a conversation with Christopher Nolan on Tuesday at the Directors Guild of America, in which he said “Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next.” Sources close the production have since confirmed to Variety that Scott wasn’t speaking out of turn and Mescal — while not officially signed up as yet — is indeed attached to the project.

Mescal is now widely expected to play Paul McCartney across four biopics Mendes is developing and will direct about the Fab Four, each focussing on a different band members and each being released theatrically. The project — being produced by Mendes’ All3Media-owned production company Neal Street — was first unveiled in February,...

It was announced earlier this year that Sam Mendes was undertaking an ambitious project involving one of the biggest bands in history: The Beatles. Instead of just one movie, Mendes is set to direct four movies, each telling the story from the point of view of a different member of the Beatles. It was then rumored that Mendes was considering the potential cast to feature Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw) as John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) as Ringo Starr, and Charlie Rowe (Rocketman) as George Harrison. Starr recently confirmed that Keoghan is indeed playing him and Ridley Scott has seemingly confirmed Pascal.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott let the cat out of the bag when the director revealed that his chances are slim on reuniting with his Gladiator II star. Scott participated in a conversation with Christopher Nolan after a screening of...

Paul Mescal might be joining The Beatles movies as Paul McCartney!

Earlier this year, the 28-year-old actor’s name was linked to Sam Mendes‘ Beatles movies. Sam is set to direct four separate movies about the Beatles.

Each movie is set to focus on the four members – Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, while also intersecting with each other, to “tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history,” leading to the 1970 breakup, Variety reported in February.

A few months back, a report emerged linking Paul to the role Paul McCartney.

Now, Paul‘s Gladiator director might have spilled the tea. When asked if he’d work with Paul in his next film The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott said, “Yes. Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”

Now, there’s three other actors linked to the three remaining Beatles roles,...

Longstanding rumour on casting as Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’s big four-part project seems settled after comments by Gladiator II director

Gladiator II director Ridley Scott appeared to confirm a longstanding film-industry rumour that Paul Mescal will play Paul McCartney in the four-film Beatles biopic announced by Sam Mendes earlier this year.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Scott let slip the information during an on-stage conversation with Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan after a screening of Gladiator II in Los Angeles. Nolan asked Scott if Mescal, lead actor in Gladiator II, would appear in Scott’s next film, post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars, adapted from a novel by Peter Heller. Scott replied: “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”...

If you're going to tell the story of arguably the biggest band of all time, it makes sense to take a maverick approach. And when it comes to Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles movies, the filmmaker is certainly taking the road less traveled so far. Not only is the 1917 filmmaker making a whole quartet of Fab Four biopics, one for each member of the band, but he's also seemingly abandoned casting announcement convention to let legends of popular culture do the job for him. After Ringo Starr seemingly confirmed Barry Keoghan will play him in Mendes' films late last month, THR are now reporting — via Ridley Scott, no less — that Paul Mescal is heading from Ancient Rome to 60s Liverpool and is set to star as singer-songwriter Paul McCartney.

Taking part in a post-Gladiator II screening Q&a with Christopher Nolan at the Directors Guild of America last night, Scott...

Ridley Scott may have inadvertently revealed some major casting news during a Q&a with Christopher Nolan last night in Los Angeles.

During a conversation with Christopher Nolan that followed a screening of Gladiator II at the Directors Guild of America, Scott confirmed his next project will be thriller The Dog Stars. When Nolan asked if Paul Mescal will star in the film, Scott initially said yes before correcting himself that Mescal’s schedule may prevent them from reuniting.

“Maybe,” Scott said, via The Hollywood Reporter. “Paul is actually stacked up,...

Ridley Scott’s plans to team up with Paul Mescal again might be delayed because of the Beatles.

During a chat with Christopher Nolan after a screening of Scott’s latest film, Gladiator II, at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Scott shared that his next project will be the thriller The Dog Stars.

When Nolan asked if Mescal was going to star in it, as recently reported, Scott initially said yes but then corrected himself. He explained that Mescal’s schedule might get in the way, as the actor is set to appear in Sony Pictures’ Beatles movies directed by Sam Mendes.

“Yes,” Scott said in response to the question about whether Mescal would star in The Dog Stars. Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next. So I may have to let him go.”

Although the studio hasn’t confirmed it, Paul...

Ridley Scott’s plans to work with Paul Mescal again might be on hold, thanks to the Beatles.

During a conversation with fellow filmmaker Christopher Nolan that followed a screening of Scott’s latest title, Gladiator II, at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Scott said that he plans for his next project to be the thriller feature The Dog Stars. When Nolan asked if Mescal is set to star in the film, given that this had been recently reported, Scott confirmed this as true before correcting himself and explaining that Mescal’s schedule may prevent the Gladiator II pair from reuniting on the new film. According to Scott, the actor is set to star in Sony Pictures’ Beatles movies for director Sam Mendes.

“Yes,” Scott said in response to the question about whether Mescal would star in The Dog Stars. Scott then added, “Maybe. Paul is actually stacked up,...

The Fall Of The Roman Empire Comparison (Photo Credit – Facebook)

With Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II continuing to draw big numbers at the box office, conversations about the potential for a third installment are taking off, with the prolific filmmaker already calling in its favor. The sequel to the Academy Award-winning Gladiator saw Scott return to the helm, continuing a story loosely inspired by historical events. Adding Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington to the beloved franchise, the big-budget tentpole’s ability to blend melodrama with history has been a significant draw for audiences worldwide.

While Gladiator features characters based on historical Roman citizens like Joaquin Phoenix’s Emperor Commodus and Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla, the story nevertheless took creative liberties, notably with Russell Crowe’s Maximus. This character replaced Narcissus, a real-life wrestler who assassinated Emperor Commodus. Despite these alterations, the film’s narrative entertained audiences’ imaginations with...

It appears Ridley Scott may be on the, uh, outs with his longtime Dp John Mathieson. The two collaborated on six films, including “Gladiator,” “Matchstick Men,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” and most recently “Gladiator II,” but in a recent interview on “The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast,” Mathieson voiced his concerns over the director’s use of multiple cameras and CGI and how his process neglects the nuances of cinematography.

“It’s really lazy,” said Mathieson. “It’s the CG [computer graphic] elements now of tidying-up, leaving things in shot, cameras in shot, microphones in shot, bits of set hanging down, shadows from booms. And they just said [on Gladiator II], ‘Well, clean it up.’”

Scott now favors using multiple cameras, a fact Mathieson puts on Scott being “quite impatient” and caring more about performance than look.

“It’s not very good for cinematography,” he said, adding later, “Look at his older films and getting...

Ridley Scott is channeling his “American Gangster” era post-“Gladiator II.”

Scott directs the first episode of the Apple TV+ series “Dope Thief,” which stars Brian Tyree Henry as a robber who becomes caught up in a narcotics empire. Henry and Scott both executive produce the series alongside creator Peter Craig.

The official synopsis for “Dope Thief” reads: “Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book of the same name, the series follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.”

Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew, Nesta Cooper, Amir Arison, and Ving Rhames co-star.

The eight-episode crime drama hails from Apple Studios and is a Scott Free Production. The series is executive produced by Craig alongside Scott,...

Ridley Scott has explain the late in the day delay to Bee Gees biopic You Should Be Dancing, which now isn’t his next film.

When we spoke to Ridley Scott in early autumn about Gladiator II, the plan at that stage was he’d move straight into directing the biopic of the Bee Gees, You Should Be Dancing. The project has gone through directors such as Kenneth Branagh and John Carney in the past, and it felt like a minor miracle it’d finally got some traction.

Then, on the eve of Gladiator II’s release, a change of plan. No longer was You Should Be Dancing be going before cameras early in 2025 as planned. Scott has switched his attention to The Dog Stars, a film he’s set to shoot in the north of Venice with his Gladiator II lead, Paul Mescal.

Why, then, the change? Well, speaking to Kermode & Mayo’s Take,...

Gladiator II director Ridley Scott took a candid approach to helping Paul Mescal work through his nerves. Mescal leads Gladiator II's cast in the role of Lucius Verus, the son of the deceased Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe). Prior to working on the sequel, Mescal was already an acclaimed actor who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the 2022 movie Aftersun. However, Gladiator II was the first time that Mescal worked on a major blockbuster studio movie.

While speaking with Vanity Fair, Mescal shared how Scott slapped him on the back and told him that "Your nerves are no f**king good to me." This took place before Mescal filmed one of the sequel's intense and intricate action scenes. Mescal explained how Scott's approach helped calm his nerves and enabled him to better focus on and be proud of the performance he delivered in Gladiator II. Check...

“Gladiator II” may have taken over two decades to come to fruition, but star Paul Mescal is already thinking about a third installment of Ridley Scott’s epic.

When asked by Variety at the film’s London premiere if he’d want to make “Gladiator 3,” Mescal didn’t hesitate. “Oh yeah, massively down,” he said. “I don’t think it will be [24] years — but I have no idea when it will be.”

The Irish actor, who is also Variety‘s latest cover star, leads the sequel to Scott’s 2000 original as Lucius Verus, the secret son of Maximus and former heir to the Roman Empire. Scott returned to direct “Gladiator II,” and the film also stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi and Connie Nielsen.

Of working with Washington, Mescal said: “To be toe-to-toe with Denzel Washington and also have that time with him between set-ups,...

Gladiator II director Ridley Scott made a last-minute decision to let Paul Mescal perform an intensive stunt. Mescal, who plays Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), underwent extensive physical training in order to fully prepare himself to lead Gladiator II's cast. The sequel features a great deal of action spectacle as Lucius battles other gladiators, General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), and ferocious animals in the Colosseum.

While speaking with Variety, Scott and Mescal discussed how the actor ended up performing a complex stunt during the movie's climax. The sequence involves Lucius riding a horse as he chases Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and Mescal "trained for fking months" in order to pull it off. However, Scott changed his mind about Mescal performing the stunt because of what happened to actor Keith Carradine during a similar stunt in Scott's feature film directorial debut, The Duellists.

Exclusive: Every interview Ridley Scott has done with Deadline has turned into a master class on his cinematic exercises in world creation, ranging from Alien, to Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Blackhawk Down, Napoleon, Prometheus, The Martian and Gladiator to name just a few. He’s back 25 years after Gladiator won five Oscars including Best Picture, but not Best Director. Scott has never won that elusive prize, but maybe his time has come with Gladiator II. It picks up the storyline with the son of Maximus, as hellbent on revenge as was his father in the original film. There is connective tissue to the original which salvaged the sword-and-sandal saga from the scrap heap, and intrigue and emotional backstories brought to life by a strong cast of Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger and Derek Jacobi. There are also several action set pieces in...

Director Ridley Scott talks to us about Gladiator II, his favourite tennis documentary, baboons and an awful lot more.

Even a brief conversation with director Ridley Scott demonstrates how he’s continued to make feature films for almost 50 years. Decades on from his debut, 1977’s The Duellists, Scott remains as restlessly creative as ever – his latest film, sword-and-sandal sequel Gladiator II, arrives almost exactly a year after Napoleon. Both are historical epics requiring armies of extras and equally sizeable film crews; and yet, unfazed by their scale, Scott says he has at least three other movie projects mapped out and ready to go over the next three years.

Our conversation with Ridley Scott took place in September, and we’ve since learned that his plans have changed. When we spoke to him, he was working on a Bee Gees biopic; that project has now been delayed, and he’s reportedly...

Quentin Tarantinos 10-movie retirement plan has never made sense, and Ridley Scotts latest comments hit the nail on the head. Tarantino famously plans to retire from filmmaking after directing his 10th feature. Since he counts Kill Bill as one film, his last directorial effort 2019s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was his ninth movie. That means that, if he sticks to his long-standing retirement plan, Tarantino only has one more movie left in him before hanging it up.

Tarantinos rationale for this plan is that most directors get worse with age. Tarantino wants to leave behind a solid filmography. He likes the idea of quitting while hes ahead and leaving his audience wanting more. Theres plenty of evidence to support his theory once-legendary directors like Michael Mann and Francis Ford Coppola made classics early in their careers, but have delivered a string of duds with their most recent films...

Director Ridley Scott has delayed his Bee Gees biopic to work with Paul Mescal again, this time on the post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, The Dog Stars.

As Ridley Scott revealed to Film Stories recently, his slate now includes a sci-fi project for us to get excited about, and it looks like the film in question will be coming sooner rather than later. According to World Of Reel, Scott has elected to delay You Should Be Dancing, his planned Bee Gees biopic and reunite with his Gladiator II star, Paul Mescal to make The Dog Stars.

Based on the novel by Peter Heller, the tale is set in ‘post-pandemic Colorado and the story follows Hig as he leads a solitary existence in an airplane hangar, with only his dog and a gruff gunman for company. His quiet life is disrupted when he intercepts a mysterious transmission on his Cessna’s radio, sparking...