In scoring "Gladiator 2," Harry Gregson-Williams faced the delicate task of honoring Hans Zimmer's original score from the original movie while crafting a new musical identity for the sequel.
The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, picks up two decades after the first, following Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, as he battles in the gladiator arena after an invasion.
Gregson-Williams understood the assignment required him to embody the essence of the first movie while moving into a new narrative space. He told Variety he recognized early on that he would need to compose at least 100 minutes of music.
A pivotal moment in Gregson-Williams' creative process was sparked by a line in the script that said, "Lucius becomes Maximus." This inspired him to go deeply into the original score, particularly the main theme characterized by a descending seventh motif.
"It has a noticeable leap, and I thought if I could embrace that in Lucius' theme, I might be able to pull this off."
While Gregson-Williams was intentional about referencing Zimmer's main theme, he approached it with caution.
He stated, "We decided if we were going to use it, we'd use it very sparingly and very precisely."
To convey Lucius' emotional journey, Gregson-Williams used a variety of instruments. He introduced a ney flute, primarily used in Persian music, layered with the voice of Ethiopian vocalist Gigi.
He explained, "I found if I layered this vocalist on top of Lucius' thematic material, it would keep her spirit alive."
For flashbacks of happier times, he used a "consort of viols," collaborating with the London-based group Fretwork to achieve an ancient yet edgy sound.
Gregson-Williams also explored ancient war-like horns in Northern Spain, which made "a ferocious sound."
His collaborative approach with Scott focused on storytelling, focusing pace, tone, color, light, and darkness, ultimately shaping the movie's emotional landscape through music.
