‘Gladiator 2’: the film was filmed in these settings

Next to joker: Folie à Deuxis one of the most anticipated releases of the season, a new sequel to one of the great Hollywood blockbusters of the last two decades. And although it will not be Russell Crowe Nor will Maximus, his son Lucius played by Paul Mescal, dress up as a gladiator to put the Roman Empire in trouble again… like his father did.

Of course, an epic like Gladiator 2 requires suitable locations to set the different scenes, including the recreation of the Colosseum outside Italy and several battlefields in England, which the British Ridley Scottonce again director of the film (about to turn 87!), knows it very well.

Where was ‘Gladiator 2’ filmed?

It must be taken into account that the sequel to Gladiator already has more than 20 years of history: Shortly after the resounding success of the first part (with five Oscars included), work began on the sequel, which was delayed for multiple reasons until the project was resumed in 2018, already with Paul Mescal as son of Maximus.

During all this time, various locations were evaluated as the script was being put together to finally settle on three main settings: Morocco, Malta and England.

Gladiator in Morocco

The first location chosen for the film is not the most original in the world since they have already passed through the Sahara Gate Games of Thrones, The Mummy, Prince of Persia, Babel either Alexander the Great. But Ridley Scott has already been in Ouarzazate to roll the kingdom of heaven, Exodus… either Gladiator.

Close to the Atlas Mountains and the Draa River Valley, it is one of the most emblematic cities in southern Morocco, already more than used to receiving Hollywood to film in its venerable kasbah. Taourirt. In fact, the city has a film museum in which various objects from the films shot at the Atlas Studios that are also found in this environment are collected.

Very close to Ouarzazate is the fortified city of Ait Benhaddoua UNESCO World Heritage Site, through which dozens of films have also passed: it is one of the ksar (castle) most famous and best preserved in Morocco. And there will be no shortage of scenes in the Sahara…since we are before the Gate of the Desert.

The Colosseum of Rome… in Malta

Taking into account that the Colosseum in Rome does not look like it did 2,000 years ago, that it is a strictly protected place and that, apparently, it was already being occupied by another filming set that was filming a documentary, those responsible for Gladiator 2 They decided that to film the Roman scenes, they would go to Malta, another classic of cinema that they have been through Agora either Games of Thrones.

Near the coast of Fort Ricasoliin front of Valletta, the filming team built various sets including a replica of the Colosseum where the gladiator combats take place that all fans of Gladiator they wait.

And as we have seen in the trailerfor the second part a naumachiathe spectacular recreations of naval battles that took place in the Roman Colosseum: without a doubt, one of the most promising sequences of Gladiator 2.

But what they say is the scene most desired by Ridley Scott is the one in which a rhinoceros appears, a common animal in the gladiator fights of ancient Rome that the British director wanted at all costs in the first film.

Apparently, budget problems ended up eliminating it from the script. This time he should have said: “without a rhino, don’t count on me.” “OK, Ridley, you’ll have your rhino… but half plastic and half digital”.

The battles of ‘Gladiator 2’ in England

Ridley Scott also doesn’t miss the opportunity to return home to film whenever he can, and with Gladiator 2 will not make an exception. The newspapers of Brighton echoed the presence of many guys dressed as Romans a few months ago: they were Scott and company who came to film the battle scenes in Devil’s Dykea V-shaped valley 100 meters deep about eight kilometers north of Brighton.

This is the dry valley longest, deepest and widest in the UK. In fact, legend has it that it was the devil himself who dug this abyss to drown a handful of parishioners. But, devil or no devil, this valley was formed just over 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age.

One of the most important landscape painters in the history of contemporary painting, John Constabledescribed it as “the most spectacular landscape in the world”, so there is no doubt: Ridley Scott has chosen well to set several of the film’s most demanding sequences, with hundreds of extras battling in the open field. And we are talking about “one of the Romans”, in addition to naumaquias and rhinoceroses, we have to have a couple of massive battles…