10/28
In the years since the release of the first film, there have been many attempts to write a sequel
Scenario
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to the past to find the strength to restore Rome’s glory to its people.
Musician Nick Cave was invited to write a version by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott
His version focused on the more mythic elements of ancient Rome and depicted Maximus arriving in the afterlife, only to encounter other souls who had yet to ascend.
Eventually, Jupiter and the other Roman gods ordered him to return to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the former god who had betrayed him
From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and returns to Rome on a mission to stop the spread of Christianity, crossing paths with the new emperor, Lucius.
The studio decided not to make this version, but the script is available to read online under Emperor Geta: The Gods Have SPOKEN!
The film ends with Maximus being cursed to live forever with a group of soldiers fighting during the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, eventually revealing a modern-day Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington, DC.