In a move that shocked absolutely no one but still left society emotionally unprepared, Ridley Scott has reportedly penned eight pages of a Gladiator 3 script — an act that led diehard fans of the original to band together and write their own 100-page public petition, urging the iconic director to cease and desist. The fans, feeling a duty to the cultural good, apparently felt that if Scott had the right to spill ink, they had the right to spill their collective anxiety in long-form protest. 🎭🛑
The petition, creatively titled «Please, Ridley. For the Love of Maximus, Stop.», became a viral sensation. The fan-written manifesto, which was crowd-edited by more than 10,000 keyboard warriors on Reddit, argues that any attempt to resurrect the Gladiator saga is akin to «summoning a cursed mummy from the cinematic underworld.» The petition reads, in part:
«Dear Ridley,
We, the people, have seen many things in cinema, but nothing terrifies us more than the thought of a Gladiator 3. You gave us one of the greatest films of all time, so why on Earth would you destroy that legacy by adding another? It’s like adding pineapple to pizza — nobody asked for it. Nobody needs it.Gladiator 3 will be the cinematic equivalent of opening Pandora’s Box, except instead of hope at the bottom, we’ll find Russell Crowe playing an ancient ghost with CGI abs. We beg you, sir, leave Gladiator in its rightful place: in 2000, where sandals and bloodshed belonged. You’ve got Alien to reboot, right? Please?
Sincerely,
The Society of People Who Don’t Need to See Joaquin Phoenix Again in Roman Garb»
Hollywood insiders say Ridley Scott’s response to this passionate outcry was a casual shrug and a half-mumbled «Nah, it’ll be fine,» which, of course, sent the internet into another spiral of doom-scrolling and meme-making. Social media users flooded the feeds with new hashtags like #SaveMaximus and #StopRidley2024, while others simply offered emotional support to those struggling with the trauma of potential sequels. 💀💬
Meanwhile, sources close to Ridley confirm that the famed director is reportedly writing page nine of the script as we speak.
