Composer Harry Gregson-Williams understood the task when director Ridley Scott asked him to score the song “Gladiator 2”.
“It was intended to capture the spiritual essence of the first film, but move forward into a fresh new world,” explains Gregson-Williams.
In early conversations with Scott, Gregson-Williams also knew that he would have to compose at least 100 minutes of music.
The events of the second part take place two decades after the release of the first film in the Gladiator series. The film revolves around Lucius (Paul Mescal) – the grandson of former Rome Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). Lucius is forced into the gladiatorial arena after Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade his hometown. He is forced to fight as a gladiator for the amusement of the young emperors, Caracalla and Geta (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger).
In Gregson-Williams’ work, he also had to find a way to tie in motifs laid down by Hans Zimmer, who composed the soundtrack to the first film.
The starting point is triggered by a line in the text that says “Lucius becomes Maximus”.
“I listened to what the first piece did, and I was drawn to the main theme that is repeated often with this descending seventh,” says Gregson-Williams. “It’s a noticeable leap, and I thought if I could embrace that in Lucius’s theme, I might be able to pull it off.”
As for Zimmer’s main “Gladiator” theme, it can be heard as well. “We decided that if we were going to use it, we were going to use it very sparingly and carefully,” says Gregson-Williams.
“Power and Honor” was the first cue he wrote. The composer used the flute, an instrument used primarily in Persian music. “I layered an Ethiopian singer known as Gigi on top of that, and throughout the film, we were reminded of the MacGuffin in the movie, and the reason Lucious does what he does — because the love of his life has faded away — and I found that if I layer this singer on top of Lucious’s thematic material This will keep her spirit alive.
During Lucius’ journey as a wrestler, he has flashbacks to happier times; In those moments, Gregson-Williams used the “violin clue.” “I found a group in London called Fretwork, and their sound is old but sharp. What I liked was the way they played their instruments, with the bow at the bottom, not the top position.
While building his music box, Gregson-Williams also took a trip to northern Spain, where he found ancient warlike trumpets “that made a ferocious sound.”
As for working with Scott, Gregson-Williams says that once he has his thematic material, he will approach a director who never pushes him in any musical direction. “It’s about how you tell a story. It talks about pace, tone, color, light and dark.