Clubhouse Conversations — Gladiator II

In this episode, cinematographer John Mathieson, BSC is joined by interviewers Ellen Kuras, ASC and Paul Cameron, ASC to discuss his work on Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott. Mathieson and Scott also collaborated on the original Gladiator.

Set in the North African province of Numidia in 200 A.D., Gladiator II focuses on young warrior Lucius (Paul Mescal), who vows revenge after a Roman legion kills his wife and sells him into slavery. Assisted by slave-merchant Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius battles his way through brutal gladiator tournaments to confront his nemesis, Gen. Acacius (Pedro Pascal).

In this interview, Mathieson discusses managing exterior lighting with hard shadows and deep focus; filming extensive dry-for-wet sequences with practical effects; integrating practical and digital elements for realism; deploying multiple cameras for large-scale action while preserving intimacy; and collaborating with production and costume designers to craft a convincing Ancient Rome.

John Mathieson, BSC is a cinematographer whose feature credits include Bonhoeffer, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and Pan. He received Oscar nominations for Phantom of the Opera (2004) and Gladiator and also received an ASC Award nomination for the latter.

Ellen Kuras, ASC is a cinematographer and director. Her cinematography credits include Pretend It’s a City, David Byrne’s American Utopia, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Summer of Sam. Her directing credits include the feature Lee and the Oscar-nominated documentary The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), which she also shot.

Paul Cameron, ASC is a cinematographer whose credits include the series Lioness and Westworld and the features Reminiscence, 21 Bridges and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He received an ASC Award nomination and two Primetime Emmy nominations for Westworld and an ASC Award nomination (shared with Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS) for the feature Collateral.

You’ll find all episodes in our ASC Clubhouse Conversations discussion series here.