Which songs are on the Gladiator 2 soundtrack?
The sequel's soundtrack has a lot to live up to after the first film's iconic score.
When it comes to movie soundtracks, they don't come much more epic or recognisable than the one used for Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator.
Now, with the long-awaited sequel Gladiator 2 arriving in cinemas later this year, all eyes (or should we say all ears) will be focussed on what this new historical epic has to offer.
The film stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the former heir to the Roman Empire who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army. Scott has returned to direct, and fans have already got a glimpse of what to expect thanks to a trailer which was released in July 2024.
But who's composing the score for the new film and what do we know about the soundtrack for Gladiator 2 so far? Read on for everything you need to know.
Who is composing the score for Gladiator 2?
While the iconic score for the first film came from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, neither have returned to compose the score for Gladiator 2.
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Instead, the score will be composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, who has previously written the score for films such as The Martian, The Last Duel and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and started his career as Zimmer's assistant.
Explaining his decision not to return in an interview with Curzon, Zimmer said: "It’s really very simple. I’ve done that world. And I think I did it well. And all I’d do is set myself up for either trying to repeat myself, which I don’t want to do, or getting slaughtered by critics who say you didn’t do it as well as you did the first time.
"We have a gladiator fight in Dune: Part Two, right? We have a gladiator fight in Gladiator, obviously, but they couldn’t be more different! I liked the idea of moving on and not getting compared to my own work. One way or the other I’d had enough of that, doing three Batman movies or four Pirates [of the Caribbean] movies or four Kung Fu Panda movies.
"And Gladiator takes a special place in my heart. I think it’s completely undisciplined. It wouldn’t have mattered if I had written the most amazing score, because the music in the first movie sticks in people’s hearts.
"I had that experience doing the live[-action] version of The Lion King. I tried to step out of my own vocabulary. Every time I did, it just didn’t work. So all I could do was repeat myself. You owe it to yourself, and to the audience, to try to do new things.
"And I want to say something about [Gladiator 2 composer] Harry Gregson Williams, who started out as my assistant. He was very good friends with both Tony and Ridley Scott. Harry is family for me. He’s a phenomenal composer.
"That film is in really good hands. Trust me. Harry and I have spoken about it. He feels the old score barking at his heels a little bit. So he’s on his A game."
Which song features in the Gladiator 2 trailer?
The first Gladiator 2 trailer was released on Tuesday 9th July, and features the 2012 song No Church in the Wild by Jay-Z and Kanye West, featuring Frank Ocean and The-Dream.
The song was previously used prominently in both the trailer for and in a scene in 2013's The Great Gatsby.
The choice of the song was criticised by some, who felt the use of modern hip-hop to soundtrack the film set in ancient Rome was jarring and took them out of the story.
Gladiator 2 soundtrack: Full list of songs
We don't yet have a list of songs for Gladiator 2, as the film isn't being released until November. However, we will update this page as soon as a song list is available.
Gladiator 2 will arrive in cinemas on 15th November.
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