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Musician Nick Cave was invited to draft a version by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott

Scenario

After his homeland is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius must enter the Colosseum and must look into his past to find the strength to restore Rome's glory for his people. In the years following the release of the first film, there were numerous attempts to write a sequel.

Eventually, he is tasked by Jupiter and other Roman deities to return to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the previous deity who betrayed them

His version focused on the more mythical elements of ancient Rome and saw Maximus arrive in the afterlife, only to be confronted by other souls who have not yet passed on. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and finds himself on his way back to Rome to stop the spread of Christianity, where he meets the new emperor Lucius.

The film ended with Maximus being cursed to live forever

It featured a montage of the soldier fighting through the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, and eventually revealed a present-day Maximus working at the Pentagon in Washington. The studio has decided not to proceed with this version, but the script can be read online.

Emperor Geta: The Gods Spoke!

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