After Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott would like to find one of his old, forgotten films to make a 4-hour long version.
For some time now, Ridley Scott has liked to look to the past to contemplate his own filmography. He regularly returns to his least appreciated feature films to defend them – as he recently did with Cartel – or to boast of its successes. And it now seems obvious that the filmmaker is seeking to extend the mythology of its cult films.
Prometheus et Alien : Covenant first allowed the director to revive the universe ofAliento also better reinvent the imagination. At the same time, he produced Blade Runner 2049sequel to one of his greatest films. And in 2024, Gladiator 2 arrived to try to launch a franchise since a third episode is already planned.
Even though it can still tell new stories (like The Last Duel or Napoleon), Ridley Scott doesn't seem to want to say goodbye to certain pieces of his career. Thus, he recently mentioned the project to create a new long version of one of his favorite films, which has nevertheless been forgotten by almost everyone.
Ridley Scott (re)discovers America
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter (which dates from November 7), the director of Thelma et Louise cited the film shot he is most proud of in his career: the legendary opening of Blade Runner. This is a feature film that he particularly cherishes and of which he loves the visuals as much as music composed by Vangelis.
After a small attack on the critic Pauline Kael (who had hardly appreciated Blade Runner upon its release), Scott then went on to praise Vangelis' work on another of his collaborations with him: 1492: Christopher Columbus.
The film, released in 1992 and carried by Gérard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver, divided critics at the time. But Ridley Scott sees it today an unfairly underrated gem of his filmography. As this historical fresco has not met with the success it deserves (according to the filmmaker), here he is who aims to resurrect him. But is it such a good idea?
The Depardieu problem
Ridley Scott's idea would therefore be to come out a 4 hour director's cut version of 1492 on an SVoD platform (remember that he released the long version of Napoleon on Apple TV+ with 48 additional minutes).
The director, however, a major problem with this project: Gérard Depardieu. But it's not at all for the reasons you think:
« The problem with Gérard is that he doesn't speak English very well and I didn't have the heart to say: 'Gérard, we have to [réenregistre toutes tes répliques].' I'm trying to resurrect 1492 because it's beautifully filmed, acted and set to music. I'm trying to make it into a four-hour film for a streaming platform. Now, if I asked, 'Gerard, can we dub you with Kenneth Branagh?', he'd probably say, 'Yes, of course.'«
So, completely redub Gérard Depardieu with Kenneth Branagh, yes why not. Even if we could have imagined that the problem with the actor today would revolve more around the fact that he is accused of sexual assault. His trial, scheduled for October 2024, was postponed until March 2025.
In any case, it is interesting to note that Ridley Scott is part of a recent trend to rehabilitate misunderstood films thanks to streaming platforms. After the success of the director's cuts of Zack Snyder or George Lucas, a 1492 of four hours could actually find its place there. It remains to be seen whether this will help the film finally meet its audience.
