Ridley Scott doesn’t plan on slowing down his career anytime soon

Nov. 20, 2023

“Since [Scorsese] started Killers of the Flower Moon I’ve made four films”

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UnlikeBarbie, Ridley Scott doesn’t think about dying.

In an interview with The Times, Scott, 85, was asked whether or not he shares the samefear of time running outas fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

“Well, since he started Killers of the Flower Moon I’ve made four films,” Scott said. “No, I don’t think about [mortality]. I get up in the morning and say: ‘Ah great! Another day of stress.’”

Though Scott doesn’t think about the passing of time, he does think about a bad New Yorker review he received for 1982’s Blade Runner. “My career has been paved with perceived disasters. The biggest? I got crucified by Pauline Kael [in The New Yorker] for Blade Runner. I was stunned. It got personal. I was furious because I knew I had done something special.”

Scott’s latest film is the historical epicNapoleon, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular French emperor. Critical reception has been positive thus far, with many calling it his best in years. Based on the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte, the cast includes Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Rupert Everett, John Hollingworth, and Youssef Kerkour.

The filmmaker is also in the middle of making a sequel to his 2000 Academy Award-winning period action dramaGladiator, starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington. The story revolves around a now grown-up Lucius (Mescal), the secret son of Maximus (famously played by Russell Crowe).

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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent’s Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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