Director Ridley Scott has denied rumors saying that he blamed Paul Mescal for his role in Gladiator II. Reports suggest that dissatisfaction with Mescal may have influenced subsequent casting decisions.
Ridley Scott’s team shut down viral rumors claiming he blamed Paul Mescal for Gladiator II box office
According to Just Jared, Scott has refuted claims that he blamed Mescal for the box office performance of Gladiator II. The rumor surfaced following a report claiming that people close to the production believed Scott felt the actor was not “masculine” enough for the role.
The theory gained strength when Mescal stepped away from Scott’s upcoming film “The Dog Stars”. Mescal was replaced by Jacob Elordi. Though the actor cited scheduling conflicts, speculation around the director-actor dispute has remained.
Scott’s representative told Just Jared, “Not true. Ridley loves Paul and was excited to work with him on Dog Stars after having enjoyed such a great collaboration on Gladiator II.”
The spokesperson added, “Sadly, Paul’s rehearsal schedule for another film prevented him from ultimately doing Ridley’s film. While he was disappointed to lose Paul, he was thrilled to get the chance to work with Jacob, who was excellent in the role.”
The fallout also seems to be crashing with Scott’s earlier impressions of Mescal. While promoting “The Dog Stars,” the director said that he had envisioned Mescal in the lead role after enjoying working with him in Gladiator II. Scott explained that the actor’s commitment to Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles films prevented him from starting in his movie. This also paved the way for Elordi to take up the role.
Gladiator II, released in 2024, was the long-awaited sequel to Scott’s Oscar-winning historical drama. Mescal led the cast as Lucius, joined by Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Joseph Quinn. The film grossed more than $460 million worldwide and became one of the year’s highest-grossing historical dramas.
The assertion from Scott’s camp suggests that the rumors have no ground. As it infers, Scott and Mescal’s equation is healthy despite the actor’s exit from The Dog Stars.
Paul Mescal is an Oscar-nominated Irish actor known for “Normal People”, “Aftersun”, “All of Us Strangers”, and “Gladiator II”.
