Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve are two of modern cinema’s blockbuster auteurs, capable of drawing massive audiences while maintaining their creative visions. They’ve praised each other’s work in recent years, and Nolan has been vocal about his admiration for Dune: Part Two, which is sure to dominate many “Best of the Year” lists by December. However, despite his glowing remarks, the director of Interstellar and Oppenheimer surprisingly named Gladiator II as his favorite film of 2024.
In a Variety feature, notable directors shared their favorite movies of the year. Alexander Payne (The Holdovers) praised the papal thriller Conclave, Alfonso Cuarón spotlighted the biopic I'm Still Here, Fede Álvarez chose Inside Out 2, David Lowery (The Green Knight) favored the Nosferatu remake, Seth Rogen picked Saturday Night, Michael Mann highlighted the sports drama Unstoppable, Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon) naturally selected The Wild Robot, and J.J. Abrams singled out The Girl on the Waves starring Daisy Ridley. But perhaps the most unexpected pick was Nolan’s choice, though Inside Out 2 from the director of the horror-focused Alien: Romulus also raised eyebrows.
Here’s how Nolan explained his choice:
"Scott understands that we don’t watch his film to get a closer look at Roman culture. No, we watch it to confront our own darker desires from a safe distance. But he’s too seasoned a filmmaker to get stuck drawing simple parallels between the ancient world and our own. Instead, he lets Gladiator II’s world speak for itself, once again challenging us to face who we are by inviting us on this mad ride [...]. I mean, why are there sharks in the Colosseum? Because that’s what we want, and Scott masterfully delivers that thrill. As he exposes how gladiatorial games were used to manipulate public opinion, we can’t help but see the shadow of our own public arenas cast in the sand."
Nolan believes Scott strikes a delicate balance between the solemnity of the original and providing something more for viewers in the sequel. He also praised the cinematography, the seamless transitions between jaw-dropping sequences, and the harmony between form and content. According to Nolan, it’s clear Scott always knew exactly where he wanted to take the story, what themes he wanted to explore, and how to achieve it with the film’s intricate visual language and narrative tools.
While critics haven’t been as effusive about Gladiator II as Nolan, the historical epic is performing decently at the box office, having grossed over $400 million globally. However, with reports of a $310 million budget, that may not be enough for long-term success. Nevertheless, Scott already has plans for a third installment and has reportedly started working on its story.
