Gladiator II | 2024
- Locations |
- Morocco;
- Malta;
- West Sussex
- DIRECTOR |
- Ridley Scott
Discover exactly where Gladiator II was filmed in Morocco and Malta, and even in the UK.
Nearly a quarter of a century after the original Gladiator, Ridley Scott's sequel to the Oscar-winning blockbuster makes a nostalgic return to its old locations in Morocco and the Mediterranean island of Malta.
The opening scenes, set in 'Africa Nova', were filmed around the now familiar city of Ouarzazate, south of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
The coastal town of 'Numidia', invaded by the Roman fleet under Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), repurposes the old 'Jerusalem' set from another Ridley Scott epic, 2005's Kingdom Of Heaven. This stands in the desert just north of the Atlas Studios on the main N9 road, east of Ouarzazate. Obviously sturdily built, it was more recently used (well where wasn't?) in TV's Game of Thrones.
As you might notice, Ouarzazate is a long, long way from the ocean. That's no problem with today's technology.
Two full-size Roman ships were built on hydraulic platforms capable of reproducing convincing pitching and rolling motions. These in turn were mounted onto 16-wheel trucks in order to move around. And the sea? That was added digitally.
The arena where wealthy Roman Marcinus (Denzel Washington) first sees the captured Lucius (Paul Mescal) fighting bizarre CGI baboons was also built here. And digital pyramids added to shots of an abandoned kasbah provided the village where young Lucius grew up after fleeing Rome in a flashback.
As in the original movie, the 'Roman' scenes were filmed on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean.
Due to the island’s strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, many fortifications were built on Malta over the centuries. Several have been used in movie and TV productions.
Most of Gladiator II's filming here, including the sets for the Colosseum, was in the largest of these, the 17th century Fort Ricasoli, standing on a promontory guarding the south entrance to the Grand Harbour of Valletta at Kalkara.
This fort was built by the the Knights of the Order of Saint John, who had settled in Malta after being expelled from Rhodes.
Apart from the original Gladiator, Fort Ricasoli previously housed sets for Ridley Scott's Napoleon and Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy.
For the recreation of a sea battle, as the Colosseum is filled with water (historically accurate) stocked with sharks (not so much), that's all digital. For closer shots, though, the film makes use of Malta Film Studios' famous water tanks – just a few minutes away from Fort Ricasoli.
The gladiator training school was constructed in Fort Manoel, an 18th century "star fort" (named for its shape) on on Manoel Island in Marsamxett Harbour, Valletta, and also built by the Order of Saint John.
Manoel's courtyard was previously the site of the Inquisition burnings in Justin Kurzel's 2016 film of Assassin's Creed, with Michael Fassbender, while GoT fans will no doubt recognise it as the place where Ned Stark was executed.
The interior tunnels of the Colosseum are those of Fort Delimara at Marsaxlokk down at Malta’s southeastern tip. For the time being, you won’t be able to explore those tunnels yourself. Since the 19th century polygonal fort has been damaged by erosion and is in need of restoration, it’s not open to the public. These tunnels, too, were featured in Assassin's Creed.
The original Gladiator filmed its big opening battle scene in Bourne Wood near Farnham, Surrey, and the sequel squeezes in just a little of the UK too – this time West Sussex.
There were reshoots of the Roman army riding from 'Ostia' back to 'Rome', answering the call of Lucius, on the land of Firedown Farm, within the Devil's Dyke area on the edge of the South Downs. As with the other locations, extensive digital work means there's little to recognise.
