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Musician Nick Cave was invited by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott to write a version
Line of Events
After his homeland is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find the strength to restore the glory of Rome to its people. In the years since the release of the first film, there have been many attempts to write a sequel.
Eventually he is tasked by Jupiter and the other Roman gods to return to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, a former god who betrayed them
His version focused on the more mythic elements of ancient Rome, with Maximus arriving in the afterlife only to encounter other spirits who want to go even higher. From there he is resurrected as a Christian and travels back to Rome to stop the spread of Christianity and his path crosses that of the new Emperor Lucius.
The movie would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live forever
There could be a combination of a soldier fighting through the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, and finally showing a modern day Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington. The studio decided not to make this version, but the script is available online.
Emperor Gatta: The gods have spoken!
Featured in The 7PM Project: July 3, 2024 Episode (2024)