Sir Ridley Scott has insisted 'Gladiator II' won't receive a separate director's cut.
The 86-year-old filmmaker has frequently released his own version of his movies after they have left theatres - such as 'Napoleon' and 'Blade Runner' - but Scott has now revealed he won't be bringing out an extended version of his upcoming historical epic sequel because he feels he has "earned the right to have the final cut".
He explained to Collider: "I have the final cut anyway, so my cut that goes out usually is my fault. It is my cut. I’ll go around in circles. I won’t agonize because I cut during the film.
"I don’t get to the end and then start the cut — God knows that would take too long. I cut as I’m going, and I think it’s valid to cut as you’re going because you need to see how you’re doing and how everyone’s performing."
The blockbuster – which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn – follows the former heir to the Roman Empire-turned slave who is thrown into the Colosseum to fight for his life and his people.
Mescal recently teased 'Gladiator II' – which lands in cinemas on 15 November – would outshine its acclaimed 2000 predecessor because Scott "had more resources at his disposal and put them to great use".
At the Tokyo International Film Festival on Monday (04.11.24), the 28-year-old actor said: "There’s no better director for focusing on an audience’s sense of entertainment than Ridley Scott."
Mescal's co-star Washington – who previously worked with the director on 2007's 'American Gangster' - added the cast had "complete trust" in Scott.
He said: "Obviously, we were in the hand of a master filmmaker so there was a complete trust in what he what he is doing.
"There were so many angles, so many cameras. I had no idea where the view was going to be, but it didn’t matter. With Scott in charge, he said, 'It freed you to have fun.'"
