Gladiator 2's twin emperors were inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head. Directed once again by Ridley Scott, this time with a script written by David Scarpa, the upcoming sequel follows an adult Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army and attempts to overthrow the corrupt co-emperors Caracalla and Geta. With Paul Mescal taking over as the lead, Gladiator 2's cast also introduces Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as the twin brothers and co-emperors of Rome, Geta and Caracalla, respectively.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Hechinger made the unexpected admission thatGladiator 2's twin emperors were inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head. The actor explains they drew inspiration from the dimwitted duo to bring a more humorous and chaotic dynamic to the twins' relationship, while also embodying the unpredictable, raw energy of punk figures like Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious. Read his full comments below:
I think it speaks to the danger and the unpredictability of who these people are. I think it's very important for Ridley that his films, which are about the past or take place in the past are not just these kind of dusty things from far away that they speak to the current moment and they feel as scary and messy and raw as today. And so I think the way that we talked about those references was about creating a kind of sense of presence and a sense of shock and surprise Beavis and Butt-Head in terms of the humor and the comedy of who these guys are and how they function with one another, and then Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious in terms of the unpredictability, that kind of punk violence.
What Gladiator 2's Twin Emperors Being Inspired By Beavis & Butt-Head Means For The Movie
It Adds To Their Already Wide Breadth Of Inspiration
Fred Hechinger revealing that Gladiator 2's twin emperors were inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head adds to their already wide breadth of inspiration for the characters. First and foremost, Ridley Scott took inspiration from their real historical counterparts, Geta and Caracalla, who ruled Rome during the early 3rd century. Scott also took inspiration from Roman mythology, calling the characters "almost a replay of Romulus and Remus." However, historians have noted that, based on the Gladiator 2 trailer, Caracalla and Geta are depicted more as Caligula, Nero, or Elagabalus figures.
Unlike the first movie, Gladiator 2 features two different Roman emperors. While this might seem strange, its rooted in real historical fact.
For Geta and Caracalla, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger's obvious reference point was Joaquin Phoenix's maniacal Emperor Commodus from the original Gladiator. However, they didn't simply want to create an imitation, so they drew from other famous villainous performances – Gary Oldman from The Fifth Element and Philip Seymour Hoffman from Mission: Impossible III. Caracalla is considered less intelligent than this brother due to "cognitive erosion" in his brain and, for his appearance, Hechinger took inspiration from punk figures like Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious.
Our Take On Gladiator 2's Twin Emperors Being Inspired By Beavis & Butt-Head
It Should Work Surprisingly Well
Though they still drew from Roman history and mythology, Gladiator 2's twin emperors taking inspiration from Beavis and Butt-Head should infuse the sequel with a surprising amount of irreverent humor. By incorporating the comedic and chaotic nature of the iconic animated duo, Caracalla and Geta, while real historical figures, should feel fresh and relatable to modern audiences. Beavis and Butt-Head may be an unlikely source of inspiration and sound inappropriate for Gladiator 2, though it should work well considering the co-emperors' chaotic and cognitive state.
Gladiator 2
releases in theaters on November 22.
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott's award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
Release Date November 22, 2024
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment
Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures
Writers David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni
English (US) ·