Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Released in 2000, the feature film Gladiator starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general who’s betrayed and forced into slavery, after which he rises through the gladiatorial ranks on a path toward vengeance. The movie earned Best Picture accolades at the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards and was the first feature collaboration between director Ridley Scott and cinematographer John Mathieson BSC. In the years that followed, the duo would reteam for the features Hannibal, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood before returning to ancient Rome for the long-anticipated sequel Gladiator II.
For the sequel — which takes place 20-some years after the original and tells the story of Maximus’ son, Lucius (Paul Mescal) — the production worked with Panalux London for its lighting package and Panavision London for cameras, lenses and advanced solutions including the Panavision Wi-Fiber connectivity system. In this video interview, Mathieson discusses expanding the visual language of Gladiator by means of the tools available today.
Find this on the Panavision website at panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/the-making-of-gladiator-ii
Released in 2000, the feature film Gladiator starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general who’s betrayed and forced into slavery, after which he rises through the gladiatorial ranks on a path toward vengeance. The movie earned Best Picture accolades at the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards and was the first feature collaboration between director Ridley Scott and cinematographer John Mathieson BSC. In the years that followed, the duo would reteam for the features Hannibal, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood before returning to ancient Rome for the long-anticipated sequel Gladiator II.
For the sequel — which takes place 20-some years after the original and tells the story of Maximus’ son, Lucius (Paul Mescal) — the production worked with Panalux London for its lighting package and Panavision London for cameras, lenses and advanced solutions including the Panavision Wi-Fiber connectivity system. In this video interview, Mathieson discusses expanding the visual language of Gladiator by means of the tools available today.
Find this on the Panavision website at panavision.com/highlights/highlights-detail/the-making-of-gladiator-ii
