Ridley Scott Says 'There's Already an Idea' for “Gladiator III”

Ridley Scott's next movie 'Gladiator II' releases in theaters Nov. 22, 24 years after his original 'Gladiator' opened

Gladiator II is still two months away from playing in theaters, but director Ridley Scott already has his sights set on a third film.

Scott, 86, told The Hollywood Reporter that he would "rather get on to Gladiator III," when the outlet asked him about his next project following the upcoming sequel's release on Nov. 22.

"There’s already an idea," Scott said, noting that his concept for a third Gladiator movie takes inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 epic The Godfather Part II.

Scott, whose second Gladiator film comes 24 years after Russell Crowe led the franchise's initial entry, similarly invoked The Godfather Part II while teasing a third film to the French outlet Premiere.

"I'm already toying with the idea of ​​Gladiator III," he told that outlet. "No, seriously! I've lit the fuse," he said, hinting that Gladiator II's ending "is reminiscent of" the end of Coppola's 1972 original Godfather film, with Al Pacino's Michael Corleone unhappily leading his family's criminal empire into the future.

Related: Gladiator II: Paul Mescal Fights His Way Through the Roman Army in Action-Packed Trailer

"So the next [film] will be about a man who doesn't want to be where he is," Scott told Premiere of the concept.

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Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the nephew of Crowe's character Maximus from the original movie. (Spencer Treat Clark played the character as a child in the 2000 original.) Trailers for the upcoming historical action film show that Lucius has made his way into fighting competitions as an adult. The movie also costars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen, the latter of whom reprises her role as Lucius' mother Lucilla.

"Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist," an official synopsis for the movie reads. "With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."

Related: Paul Mescal Says Gladiator II and Wicked Same-Day Release Is New 'Barbenheimer,' Calls Event 'Glicked'

Mescal, 28, told Premiere that Scott only recently informed him of his desire to make a third Gladiator film. While he said he's interested, he noted, "we can't rush anything."

Scott himself recently gave PEOPLE some insight into what audiences can expect from Gladiator II at Alien: Romulus' premiere on Aug. 12.

“It's as good as the first one,” he said. The original Gladiator won five Academy Awards at the 73rd Oscars in 2001 and received 12 total nominations at that year's ceremony. “I didn't say better. It's as good.”

Gladiator II is in theaters Nov. 22.

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