After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to the past to find the strength to restore Rome's glory to its people. There were many attempts to write a sequel in the years after the first film's release. Musician Nick Cave was brought in to write a version by Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott. His version focused on the more mythical elements of ancient Rome and saw Maximus arriving in the afterlife, only to face other souls yet to ascend. Eventually, Jupiter and the other Roman deities task him with returning to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, the former god who betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and returns to Rome on a mission to stop the spread of Christianity, while crossing paths with the new emperor, Lucius. The film would have ended with Maximus being cursed to live forever, with a montage of soldiers fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, ultimately revealing a modern-day Maximus working in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The studio decided not to pursue this version, but the script is available to read online. Emperor Geta: The Gods HAVE SPOKEN!. Featured on The 7PM Project: Episode dated July 3, 2024 (2024)