Ridley Scott Explained Why He Built His Own Colosseum For Gladiator II Rather Than Shooting On Location Or Making It CGI

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In an era where CGI frequently brings the cinematic landscapes we watch on our large screens to life, one might expect director Ridley Scott to digitally resurrect Rome’s Colosseum for Gladiator II, but instead he opted for a more hands-on approach. During the production of the sequel, Scott transported his cast to Malta, Morocco and various other locations, effectively recreating the Roman Empire in the process. Yet, one may wonder why he chose not to film at the actual site?

Following the release of one of Scott’s major films in 2024, he shared his plans for returning to the setting of a classic movie that’s over two decades old. When queried about opting to construct sets instead of closing down the iconic Colosseum, this is what he told The Hollywood Reporter:

Or, more concisely:
After Scott made one of the biggest films in 2024 based on a classic movie from over two decades ago, he explained his decision to build sets rather than shutting down the famous Colosseum to The Hollywood Reporter.

It’s actually cheaper.

Amazing, isn’t it? The Colosseum depicted in the sequel of one of the top films from the 2000s was a result of blending both digital and real-world effects. Indeed, they constructed a replica of the actual Colosseum. As Scott went on:

I didn’t visit the actual Colosseum; instead, my production designer and I went to a slightly larger replica. Inside it, we both expressed our surprise by saying, “It seems quite compact.” The Colosseum we worked on is about 10% bigger due to the need for space when a horse is running at full speed. We constructed half of it physically and filled in the rest with digital effects. Building more reduces the need for blue screen, which saves money every time it’s used.

Ridley Scott enlisted the services of Arthur Max once more for production design, who had previously collaborated with Scott on the original film and received an Academy Award for his efforts (as well as on projects like “Black Hawk Down,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “American Gangster,” “Robin Hood,” “Prometheus,” “The Martian,” “The Last Duel,” “House of Gucci,” and “Napoleon”). As he had done before, Max constructed the Colosseum, but this time it was scaled up to the size of a football field and stood two stories tall.

To create a more dramatic impact for the water battle scene in the sequel, the filmmakers enlarged the Colosseum depiction, making it bigger than its real-life counterpart. As reported by Variety, the main archway of the set was approximately ten feet higher than its portrayal in the initial movie to allow a ship to pass through during the contentious scene, which has raised questions about historical accuracy online.

Despite some criticisms about the plot of “Gladiator II”, as pointed out in TopMob’s review of the sequel, it’s truly awe-inspiring to contemplate the effort that went into crafting the film’s sets to appear authentic, not just for viewers but also for the actors. Ridley Scott consistently focuses on using practical effects, and the fact that “Gladiator II” necessitated constructing sets to depict the grandeur of the Roman Empire is simply astonishing!

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2025-01-09 05:37