By Filmmaker Ridley Scott is back out there on the interview circuit, this time for the release of the “Gladiator” sequel, and the director’s wonderful bluntness is back on full display.
Quotes from a number of interviews are flying thick and fast as Scott offers his take on a number of topics in this industry along with his own career which has never been busier despite the fact he’s about to turn 87 this month.
Scott tells THR he doesn’t think of directing as work: “It’s my passion and therefore my pleasure. I think it actually keeps me going… I’m 86 now, so I’ve still got a few to go.”
In terms of being able to churn out so many works so quickly, he says: “I got good at cutting away all the crap. You can’t have 40 projects in development. That’s a bad idea. I usually have three or four.”
Asked about Quentin Tarantino’s claims he’ll retire after making his tenth directorial effort, Scott says: “I don’t f—ing believe that bulls—. Shut up and go make another movie. Quentin wrote a few things for my brother. They got along great. I’m not sure I’ve met him.”
Asked about not winning an Oscar as yet, he responded: “Well, I’ve been knighted twice”. Asked if it changes anything his life, he says: “Only if somebody gets tricky and then I sign the note rudely [as ‘Sir Ridley Scott’]. Otherwise I don’t use it. But, of course, I respect it.”
Asked if there’s a specific shot from his films he’s most proud of, he says: “The opening shot of Los Angeles in Blade Runner, which I think is terrific – go f— yourself, Pauline [Kael].”
He also revealed that one of his more underrated historical epics, “1492,” he’s trying to bring back:
“I worked with Vangelis on a film I’m very proud of, ‘1492,’ with Gérard Depardieu. The problem with Gérard is he doesn’t speak very good English and I didn’t have the heart to say, ‘Gérard we need to [re-record all your lines].’ I’m trying to resurrect 1492 because it’s so beautifully shot and acted and scored. I’m trying to resurrect it as a four-hour [movie] for a streaming platform. Now if I asked, ‘Gérard, can we ADR you with Kenneth Branagh?’ he’d probably say, ‘Yeah, of course.’”
Finally, asked what film of his deserves revisiting, he says: “The Counselor, to me, was the best dialogue I’ve ever had… It was very good film, but too dark for the average person. I think the dialogue is beautiful.”
“Gladiator II” begins its international rollout next week and hits U.S. cinemas on November 22nd.
The post Ridley Scott On Retirement, “1492” & More appeared first on Dark Horizons.
