Ridley Scott Reportedly Fired Paul Mescal After Blaming Him For Gladiator 2 Failure

Published Sep 1, 2026, 9:55 AM EDT Brennan Klein (he/him) is a senior news writer at Screen Rant, host of the Attack of the Queerwolf podcast, and contributor at Alternate Ending and Horror Press. He has been writing and podcasting about pop culture (especially horror movies) for over a decade at platforms including Blumhouse, Fangoria, Dread Central, The Backlot, and Arrow in the Head. Sign in to your ScreenRant account A new report alleges that there was an unspoken reason why Paul Mescal dropped out of Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars after starring in Gladiator II. Paul Mescal, who broke out with his role in the Irish miniseries Normal People and was nominated for an Oscar in 2023 for his lead performance in Aftersun, starred as Lucius Verus Aurelius, the son of Russell Crowe's original character, in Ridley Scott's 2024 swords-and-sandals legacy sequel Gladiator II. The movie was the year's 12th highest-grossing movie worldwide with $462.2 million, but it nevertheless underperformed against its reported net budget of $210 million, which likely placed its estimated break-even point around $525 million. Cinema · A Ridley Scott Production Ridley ScottFilmography Trivia 👽Sci-FiIn space ⚔HistoricalEpic 🎥ThrillerTension 🏆LegacyLegend 🚀ModernVisionary LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! → 01 Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece introduced audiences to one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures and launched a massive franchise. The film’s tagline was “In space, no one can hear you scream.” What is this iconic film? ABlade Runner BAlien CPrometheus DThe Martian ✓ Correct! Alien (1979) redefined both the sci-fi and horror genres. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley became one of cinema’s greatest heroines, and H.R. Giger’s nightmarish creature design created an icon of terror that has endured for over four decades. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Alien. Released in 1979, it combined claustrophobic horror with science fiction in a way never seen before. The film spawned multiple sequels, prequels, and crossovers, becoming one of the most successful franchises in movie history. NEXT → 02 Ridley Scott’s 1982 neo-noir sci-fi film, initially a box office disappointment, went on to become one of the most influential films ever made. It explores the question of what it means to be human through artificial beings called replicants. What is this film? ATotal Recall BAlien CBlade Runner DA.I. Artificial Intelligence ✓ Correct! Blade Runner (1982) is now considered one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” it pioneered the cyberpunk aesthetic and raised profound philosophical questions about consciousness and identity. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Blade Runner. Despite underperforming at the box office in 1982, it became a cult classic and is now widely regarded as a masterpiece. Its rain-soaked neon cityscape and Rutger Hauer’s “tears in rain” monologue are etched into cinema history. NEXT → 03 Ridley Scott directed a 2000 epic historical drama starring Russell Crowe as a Roman general betrayed by the emperor’s son and forced to fight as a gladiator. The film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. What is this film? AKingdom of Heaven BTroy CBen-Hur DGladiator ✓ Correct! Gladiator (2000) revived the sword-and-sandal epic genre and earned Russell Crowe the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film’s iconic line “Are you not entertained?” and Hans Zimmer’s thunderous score cemented it as one of the greatest historical epics ever made. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Gladiator. Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius is legendary. The film won five Oscars and single-handedly revived the historical epic genre, inspiring countless imitators in the years that followed. NEXT → 04 In 1991, Ridley Scott directed a groundbreaking road thriller starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two women on the run after a tragic incident. The film became a cultural landmark for its feminist themes. What is this film? AThelma & Louise BG.I. Jane CA Good Year DSomeone to Watch Over Me ✓ Correct! Thelma & Louise (1991) was a cultural phenomenon that challenged Hollywood conventions. Written by Callie Khouri, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, the film’s iconic final scene of the 1966 Thunderbird sailing over the Grand Canyon remains one of cinema’s most memorable images. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Thelma & Louise. This 1991 road thriller starred Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and became a landmark of feminist cinema. It also featured a young Brad Pitt in a breakout role that helped launch his career. NEXT → 05 Ridley Scott directed a 2001 war film based on the true story of a U.S. military operation in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993, where a mission to capture a warlord went catastrophically wrong. What is this film? AAmerican Sniper BBlack Hawk Down CThe Kingdom DBody of Lies ✓ Correct! Black Hawk Down (2001) is a visceral, unflinching portrayal of the Battle of Mogadishu. Based on Mark Bowden’s book, the film won two Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Its intense, documentary-style combat sequences set a new standard for war films. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Black Hawk Down. This 2001 war film depicted the harrowing 1993 Battle of Mogadishu with unflinching realism. American Sniper was directed by Clint Eastwood, while The Kingdom and Body of Lies were directed by other filmmakers. NEXT → 06 In 2015, Ridley Scott directed a survival sci-fi film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars who must use his ingenuity to survive until rescue arrives. The film was based on Andy Weir’s novel. What is this film? AInterstellar BGravity CThe Martian DAd Astra ✓ Correct! The Martian (2015) was a critical and commercial triumph, earning over $630 million worldwide. Matt Damon’s charismatic performance as botanist Mark Watney, who “sciences the **** out of” his survival on Mars, earned the film seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is The Martian. While Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan, Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón, and Ad Astra by James Gray, it was Ridley Scott who brought Andy Weir’s beloved novel about a stranded astronaut to spectacular life on screen. NEXT → 07 Ridley Scott returned to the Alien franchise in 2012 with a prequel film that explored the origins of humanity and the mysterious Engineers who created the xenomorphs. What is the name of this prequel? AAlien: Covenant BAlien: Resurrection CAliens DPrometheus ✓ Correct! Prometheus (2012) marked Ridley Scott’s return to the universe he created over three decades earlier. The film expanded the Alien mythology by exploring the Engineers, an ancient race responsible for creating human life, and introduced new questions about the origins of the deadly xenomorphs. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Prometheus. Alien: Covenant (2017) was actually the sequel to Prometheus. Aliens (1986) was directed by James Cameron, and Alien: Resurrection (1997) was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Prometheus was Scott’s grand return to the franchise. NEXT → 08 Ridley Scott has directed over 25 feature films across multiple decades and genres. Despite his immense influence on cinema, he has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director multiple times but has never won. For which film did he receive his first Best Director Oscar nomination? AGladiator BBlade Runner CThelma & Louise DBlack Hawk Down ✓ Correct! Ridley Scott received his first Best Director Oscar nomination for Thelma & Louise (1991). He was nominated again for Gladiator (2000) and Black Hawk Down (2001), but has never won. Despite this, he received a knighthood in 2003 and remains one of cinema’s most respected and prolific directors. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Thelma & Louise. While many assume it was Gladiator, Scott’s first Best Director nomination actually came for the 1991 road thriller. He was subsequently nominated for Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, but the Oscar has remained elusive throughout his legendary career. REVEAL MY SCORE → Final Cut Complete Your Director’s Chair Rating / 8 Are you a Ridley Scott scholar — or still watching the director’s commentary? ↻ WATCH AGAIN The month Gladiator II debuted, Paul Mescal was announced as the lead of Scott's new post-apocalyptic movie The Dog Stars. However, two months later, Mescal dropped out and was replaced by Jacob Elordi. It was announced that this was due to scheduling conflicts with the upcoming Beatles biopics, in which Mescal plays Paul McCartney, but a new report from Puck suggests a different version of events. Their sources allege that Ridley Scott said that Mescal wasn't "masculine" enough, blaming that for Gladiator II's disappointing box office haul. On the other side of the coin, other sources allege that Sam Mendes, who is directing the upcoming The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, was upset that Ridley Scott leaked the fact that Mescal was cast as Paul McCartney and pressured the star to drop out of The Dog Stars. The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event involves four interrelated biopics following one Beatle each that are set to debut simultaneously in theaters on April 7, 2028, with Barry Keoghan playing Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn playing George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon opposite Mescal's Paul McCartney. Regardless of the reason for Paul Mescal parting ways with Ridley Scott, it has likely benefited his career that he is no longer part of 2026's The Dog Stars. The movie, which debuted on August 28, is severely underperforming at the time of writing. In addition to earning a thoroughly rotten score of 39% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie's opening weekend was a major disappointment, landing Ridley Scott's fifth-worst domestic debut out of the 20 movies that he has helmed this century. The Dog Stars' $7.7 million 3-day haul, which landed the movie at No. 5 on its opening weekend behind titles including fellow new release Coyote vs. Acme and holdover hits Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey (both of which had been in theaters for more than a month at that point), most likely means that the movie is not on track to turn a profit in theaters. The Dog Stars, which has so far made $18.8 million worldwide, reportedly cost $70 million to make, which could place its estimated break-even point as high as $175 million. Given where the movie started, that benchmark seems thoroughly unreachable, as there is a question whether the movie will even be able to pass the $100 million milestone worldwide. The Beatles biopics will most likely perform well at the box office, given the intrigue surrounding their experimental release and the fact that The Beatles is one of the most popular music acts in history. Ultimately, it was probably better for Mescal to focus his energy on that project rather than following the lukewarm Gladiator II with the downright disappointing The Dog Stars. Release Date November 22, 2024 Runtime 148 minutes Director Ridley Scott Lucius enters the Colosseum after Rome’s oppressive emperors destroy his home and tighten their grip on the empire. Haunted by the memory of Maximus and fueled by vengeance, he searches for the strength and honor needed to oppose corruption. His journey becomes a fight not only for survival, but also for the future and dignity of Rome. Writers David Scarpa, Peter Craig, David Franzoni Main Genre Adventure Release Date August 28, 2026 Runtime 119 minutes Director Ridley Scott Writers Mark L. Smith Producers Mark L. Smith, Michael A. Pruss, Ridley Scott, Cliff Roberts Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly virus has decimated humanity, Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars follows Hig, a pilot and survivor fighting off a group of dangerous nomadic scavengers known as Reapers.