Ridley Scott Shares Epic Lessons 20 Years Later From Kingdom of Heaven

The 2005 movie “Kingdom of Heaven” has gained a strong reputation over the years, earning a place among legendary director Sir Ridley Scott’s most epic and possibly finest works – if you consider the director’s cut. The initial theatrical release received both negative critical acclaim and poor commercial performance. However, due to this, Scott released his director’s cut in selected theaters towards the end of the same year. Now, 20 years after its initial release, Scott reflects on the film as it celebrates its May 27 release on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

In a different version of Ridley Scott’s acclaimed film, titled “The Director’s Cut,” the narrative is deepened, providing a more profound backdrop for the character evolution of Balian de Ibelin, portrayed by Orlando Bloom. This edition also introduces one of the movie’s key themes, “There is so much done in Christendom that Christ himself would not be able to do,” early on. Moreover, The Roadshow Edition of this director’s cut offers an overture and intermission, accompanied by the captivating music composition of Harry Gregson-Williams, who delivered some of his finest work for the film.

In this conversation, ScreenRant chatted with legendary director Ridley Scott about his experiences making the movie “Kingdom of Heaven,” written by William Monahan. He discusses how the film challenged his endurance, the reasons behind its unfortunate theatrical release, and what aspects of it still hold significance for him today. Moreover, the 87-year-old filmmaker hinted at his upcoming project “The Dog Stars” and expressed his aspirations for the continued evolution of the “Alien” series, which he initially brought to life and later rejuvenated.

What Happened With Kingdom Of Heaven’s Theatrical Cut, Explained

“I Should Never Have Done That”

These days, Ridley Scott’s film Kingdom of Heaven is frequently considered one of his masterpieces. Unfortunately, when it premiered in cinemas, it didn’t receive either critical or commercial success. The reason for this was primarily the theatrical version of the movie, which was about 45 minutes shorter than Scott’s preferred cut and excluded what he believes were crucial 17 minutes. According to Scott, the reasons behind these changes were test screenings and a need to accommodate the studio’s preferences.

As a movie enthusiast, I initially crafted the flick, took pride in it, and then someone chimed in with suggestions like, “What if we add this?” or “What about that?” … And I couldn’t contest because they footed the bill. Scott emphasized that he maintains deep respect for his studio and those who invested financially in our grand production, ensuring their expectations were met.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the director was well aware of the studio’s daring decision to back Kingdom of Heaven. He confided, “We screened it numerous times.” This might be due to the fact that when I told Fox, ‘I need you to invest X dollars in this film. It centers around the infidels and the Muslim faith,’ that’s not your typical blockbuster material, is it? It’s not as appealing as Star Wars.

Scott deeply desired to create this movie due to the exceptional material he had with writer Bill Monaghan. He felt it was truly unique and the script was outstanding. Even during previews, he expressed his satisfaction, referring to Kingdom of Heaven as “rock ‘n roll,” stating it was fantastic. However, he confessed that someone suggested the film was too lengthy, leading to potential changes like omitting the story of the princess who chose euthanasia for her child.

“Right there you saved 17 minutes,” Scott said, “but you cut out part of the heart of the matter.”

How The Beginning Of The Director’s Cut Reshapes The Film

“The Film Is About Massive Misunderstanding”

At the start of the extended version, Bill Paterson delivers a line that resonates deeply: “There’s so much happening in Christianity that Christ himself might not have been able to do.” Scott found this statement to encapsulate truth while also possessing a certain poetic wisdom. This sentiment echoes one of the film’s central themes, as Scott explained, “The movie is about profound misunderstanding.” He further noted, “Surprisingly enough,” it continues to persist in our modern times as well.

Scott conceded that the term “misunderstanding” might be underused and lackluster when discussing the craving for control over the Holy Land, but he proceeded to reinforce his point by citing a scene from Kingdom of Heaven. He mentioned: “‘Saladin was superbly portrayed in the movie by Ghassan Massoud, and I was particularly moved when Saladin regained control of the central place of worship in Jerusalem and turned it back into a mosque.’

Scott added, ‘It’s worth paying attention to this detail: when he enters the building after his symbol is restored, he avoids walking on the Christian gravestones. Instead, he circles around them. Once the floor of the building is cleansed with rose petals, they return it to what they consider its original state.’

Scott further expressed a profound insight he received from the actor portraying Saladin, Massoud: “The Quran emphasizes deep respect towards any religious symbol or icon of other faiths.” The director then added, “While it’s debatable if that still holds true today, this very aspect makes our film intriguing for people to be so captivated by it now.

Kingdom Of Heaven Made Ridley Scott A More Patient Filmmaker

“Be Kind If You Can”

After everything that transpired during the making of Kingdom of Heaven, one might naturally infer that Ridley Scott would have gained fresh perspectives on filmmaking. Indeed, he did–but not in the way you’d expect. When asked about the lesson he took away from the experience, Scott simply responded, “Be kind if you can.” Interestingly, he further elaborated, “Sometimes, as a director overseeing a team of 1,200, I find myself wishing to discipline 40 of them.

As a cinephile, let me put it this way: “However, that’s not an option,” the director explained, “so you master the art of patience, then with a stealthy stride, you can gently nudge open the trailer door, and emerge grinning. You get the gist? That’s my secret.

Ridley Scott Explains Why There Aren’t Many Movies Like Kingdom Of Heaven

Plus, He Shared Insights Into His Own FIlmmaking Style

A little over a year after Wolfgang Petersen’s movie Troy (2004) graced the silver screen with its epic scale, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven followed suit. In today’s fast-paced Hollywood, movies like these are becoming increasingly rare, and Scott acknowledges this struggle. “I continue to get opportunities,” he admitted, “so I must be doing something right, but it is indeed challenging.

Scott went on to say, ‘Moreover,’ he added, ‘this production leans heavily towards visual enhancements. Visual effects are indeed an impressive resource, but they’re just tools. They shouldn’t be used to mask flaws in a film.’ A movie like Kingdom of Heaven demonstrates this point well. Although it used computer-generated crowds, it also boasted as many as 30,000 real extras in one scene according to a 2005 article in The Guardian.

Scott added, ‘That’s where your costs escalate significantly,’ when things aren’t correctly captured during filming. Visual effects should be employed as an improvement, and they should be utilized to save money instead of spending it to fix mistakes in a poorly planned production. Unfortunately, this trend of over-reliance on visual effects is occurring more frequently.

The director also disclosed his method for acquiring what he requires during any filming day. “I picked up this technique quite early on, perhaps from my days as a live TV director at the BBC where I was utilizing six cameras for drama. On those shows, every camera movement was pre-planned because we were live and couldn’t pause. This approach carried over into movies. Now, I work with anywhere between eight to 11 cameras.”

Scott mentioned, “The movie I’m currently working on is titled ‘The Dog Stars.’ In just 38 days, I’ll wrap up production. For comparison, Napoleon took 52 days, Gladiator II took 48 days. Typically, a film of this nature would take over a hundred days, but with eight to eleven cameras, it progresses eight to eleven times faster, as long as you know where to position the device effectively. If not, beware – you could easily find yourself in a mess.

How Saltburn Got Jacob Elordi Cast In Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars

“I Loved The Whole Thing”

Scott discussed his upcoming movie titled “The Dog Stars“, an adaptation from the post-apocalyptic novel of the same name by Peter Heller. Although he didn’t disclose any details regarding the plot, he did explain why he chose Jacob Elordi, star of “Saltburn“, for the leading role. “I cast all my films with a casting director,” Scott said. “Usually, once I read a script, prepare it, or have it written, I’m already considering who would be best suited for the part.”

Typically, it’s my proposal that forms the basis (above-the-line). The casting director is particularly instrumental in involving others for the movie, providing a great deal of assistance.

In Saltburn, Scott pointed out that Jacob is a captivating, intriguing individual he became particularly aware of. During this discussion, the director didn’t hold back his appreciation for Emerald Fennell’s 2023 drama, and it was evident in his words: “I found myself really enjoying the movie. I thought the entire project was impressively intelligent, yet it struck a chord with me. I was thoroughly engaged by the whole production. Jake was quite engaging to watch, as was Barry Keoghan. It was fascinating,” he added.

Additionally, Scott couldn’t help but express his excitement for the rest of the film’s talented ensemble: “[In The Dog Stars], I have Guy Pearce, Margaret Qualley who is simply amazing. I truly believe they’re all on their way to stardom. And Josh Brolin – we’ve wrapped up our shoot already. He spent around a month with me. It’s an intriguing plotline.

Don’t Expect Another Ridley Scott Alien Movie

“I Think I’ve Done Enough”

Ridley Scott has significantly shaped popular culture with numerous films that have become cultural touchstones; among these are _Blade Runner_, _Gladiator_, _Black Hawk Down_, _Thelma & Louise_, and _The Martian_. However, out of all his movies, the 1979 film _Alien_ has spawned the most sequels, spinoffs, comic books, video games, and other franchise expansions by a wide margin. As Scott himself put it, “_Alien_ is spreading like wildfire.

However, it wasn’t like that initially for him. He admitted, “I felt it became numbed after the fourth one,” referring to 1997’s Alien: Resurrection. “I believe mine was quite impressive, and I think Jim’s was decent too. But, honestly, I can’t say the rest were particularly good.

He went on to say, “At least, as far as I’m concerned, the first Star Wars movie by George Lucas is groundbreaking – it was equally influential as 2001: A Space Odyssey. In my opinion, it was crucial in shaping film language and paving the way for future projects.” For instance, after Star Wars, he was given the opportunity to create Alien, approximately a year later.

Speaking about his initial experiences with the franchise, Scott explained that he found some inspiration for his work from the movie ‘Alien’. This was partly due to a lucky coincidence when he received a call out of the blue. As he put it, “I’m captivated by excellent comics, and Jean Giraud Moebius was arguably the best in the world. He was a French comic artist who was incredibly talented. I was deeply engrossed in these comics when suddenly, I was offered Alien unexpectedly. Since design is part of my essence, I instinctively knew what to do with it.

Initially, Scott wasn’t even the third pick for the movie “Alien”. In fact, he was the fifth choice. It’s a mystery as to why they offered “Alien” to Robert Altman, as Altman responded, “Are you joking? I’m not going to do this.” However, Scott felt compelled to take on the project because it was close to heavy metal music.

Initially, Scott created the original film, followed by Cameron’s sequel, with two additional installments added to the series. However, it seemed as though the franchise had ended. Fortunately for sci-fi enthusiasts, the director didn’t let go of the concept. Several years later, he announced his intention to revive it and wrote Prometheus from scratch, starting anew on a clean piece of paper. Damon Lindelof and he then collaborated to create Prometheus, which was eagerly awaited and well-received by the audience.

Regrettably, Scott commented, “Nobody was claiming it, so I went ahead and made Alien: Covenant again, and it turned out successfully.” With Alien: Romulus in 2024 being a blockbuster and spawning additional installments in the series, Scott feels that his work on the franchise has been accomplished. When questioned about any further directorial aspirations for the series, he responded briefly, “Not really.

Scott Explains One Key Alien: Covenant Song Choice

“It Was So, So Beautiful, It Was Nearly Spooky”

In Scott’s final Alien franchise movie, “Alien: Covenant,” an effective marketing strategy was employed using a distinct tune – “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. Scott admired Denver’s voice, describing it as resonating like an alpine yodel from Switzerland and remarking, “What a voice!

Not only does the song fit perfectly with the trailer, it’s also crucial to the storyline in the movie. Scott explained how he decided on using that specific tune, stating, “It was so beautiful, almost eerie. If you find yourself stranded somewhere remote, you play songs that remind you of home. Suddenly, that idea just popped into my head, and I knew it was the right choice.

2025-06-04 15:51