The insurance company ofGladiatoradvised Ridley Scott to reshoot the whole movie midway through filming due to an unforeseen circumstance. Scott’s 2000 Best Picture-winning movie, which just recently saw the release of its long-awaited sequel, followed Maximus (Russell Crowe), a general forced into slavery who must fight for his life as a gladiator while seeking revenge against those who wronged him.Gladiatoris consideredone of Scott’s best movies, but its production didn’t come without challenges.
AtThe Hollywood Reporter’s Producer Roundtable, it was revealed that Scott almost had to reshoot the entirety ofGladiator. Before filming was complete, actor Oliver Reed passed away after a double heart attack, leaving a few scenes unfinished. He played Proximo, a gladiator trainer who has a pivotal role in Maximus' journey. Mary Parent, who was then a young executive at Universal advocating for the project, and Lucy Fisher, the producer of the new sequel,Gladiator II, recalled howthe insurance company felt an entire reshoot would be needed. Check out what they said, below:
Mary Parent: “It was a $90 million insurance claim. And they had a brilliant solution, it’s a good example of producing… With face replacement.”
Lucy Fisher: “First, the insurance company said that Ridley would have to go back and shoot the whole movie, and he’d already shot more than half of it. And the idea, for a director, to have to go back and shoot – go back to Malta, go back to Morocco, reshoot the whole movie – was like… They did come up with a great idea, which is a little CGI and a little bit of a different ending.”
What This Means For Gladiator
Gladiator Helped Revolutionize The Use Of CGI In Filmmaking
Due to thekey role Oliver Reed played inGladiator, the only other way around was to recast the role and reshoot all of Reed’s scenes, which would significantly extend the production’s length and budget. To avoid a $90 million claim, the creative minds behindGladiatorcame up witha series of solutions to carry on filming. Aside from using a stunt double and CGI face swaps for important scenes, Proximo also died earlier in the film in comparison to the original plan.
Gladiator’s 10 Most Rewatchable Scenes
Gladiator is one of the most iconic films of all time, partly due to the sheer amount of rewatchable scenes that Ridley Scott’s epic includes.
Proximo’s absence also led tosignificant changes to the film’s ending, including the death ofRussell Crowe’s Maximus, though the decision may have more to do with Maximus' arc. Using CGI for a face swap wasn’t a standard procedure back then, and the film’s creative way of handling the tragic death of a key actor revolutionized the use of innovative technology in filmmaking. Now, the process is a bit more common, as seen with movies such asFurious 7andRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Gladiator’s CGI Proximo Was Used Respectfully
WhatGladiatorachieved by recreating Oliver Reed’s Proximo was not only a technical marvel at the time, but it also helped to set a precedent. Since then, several deceased actors have been digitally resurrected to reprise iconic roles, and to varying results. ForGladiator, there was a necessity to finish the film (and avoid that high insurance claim) while also honoring the performance Reed had already given in the many scenes filmed. Some movies still tastefully use CGI to finish an actor’s performance, as was the case with Paul Walker inFurious 7, but in most instances it feels wrong, even ghoulish.
10 Actors Brought Back From The Dead With CGI
In recent years, Hollywood has come far with their CGI technology, and in fact, it’s now powerful enough to bring deceased actors back to the screen.
Peter Cushing’s return as Grand Moff Tarkin inRogue One, while done with the blessing of his family, wasn’t a case where Cushing had died while filming. Instead, the actor was digitally recreated to reprise the role some 20 years after his passing. Similarly, after having passed away seven years prior, Harold Ramis was digitally recreated to appear inGhostbusters: Afterlife. The worst offenders, though, are when a deceased actor is digitally resurrected for nothing more than a cameo, as was the case with the poorly receivedChristopher Reeve cameo inThe Flash.
These are instances where there wasn’t a real need for the movies to include digitally recreated dead actors. An iconic role can be recast with a new actor, or a story can be reworked to remove a character whose actor is no longer alive.Gladiatorwas already in mid-production when Reed died, and thankfully, it was a hurdle the film handled with care and respect.
Our Take On Gladiator
It’s One Of The Greatest Films Ever Made
Gladiatorhas plenty of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.Reed’s death mid-production wasn’t the only challenge it faced, and Scott and the creative minds behind the film certainly had their unique ways of solving problems. For example, to achieve a shocking visual effect on screen, Scott found out about the deforestation plan for an area in the Bourne Woods in Surrey, England, and offered to burn down the forest free of charge in exchange for filming permission, which resulted in the shockingGladiatoropening scene.
Crowe also did his own stunts inGladiator. He had a series of serious injuries from broken bones to superficial wounds. One injury also took him two years to fully recover. Crowe often didn’t need makeup artists for the effects because he was covered in dirt and blood. In the opening battle scene, the wounds on his face were real. Of course, there were many occasions which seemed like the film might not even cross the finish line, but allthe incidents and solutions then became part of the storiesthat shaped one ofthe best movies ever made.
Gladiator
Cast
Gladiator follows Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the new emperor Commodus. After escaping execution, he is enslaved and becomes a gladiator. Set in ancient Rome, the story portrays his struggle for survival and quest for vengeance as he battles for his freedom in the arena.
