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In the years following the first release, there were many attempts to write a sequel in film

Scenario

After his home has been conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and look to his past to find the strength to restore the glory of Rome to its people.

Musician Nick Cave was asked by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott to make a version

His version focused on the more mythic elements of ancient Rome and would have seen Maximus arrive in the afterlife only to face other souls who have yet to ascend.

He is eventually commissioned by Jupiter and other Roman deities to return to earth to find and kill Hephaestus, a former deity who betrayed them

From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and finds himself traveling back to Rome on a mission to stop the spread of Christianity as he crosses paths with the new emperor, Lucius.

The studio decided not to pursue this version, but the script can be read online

The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live for an eternity, and included a montage of the soldier fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, eventually revealing a modern Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington.

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Featured in The 7PM Project: Episode 3 July 2024 (2024)