History Trivia / Gladiator

* HeyItsThatVoice: Creator/BrianBlessed can be heard as a Colosseum spectator shouting "MAXIMUS THE MERCIFUL".

* WagTheDirector: CreatorRussellCrowe was continually unhappy with the screenplay, rewriting much of it to suit his own ends. He would frequently walk off the set if he didn't get his way. The famous line "And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." he initially refused to say, telling writer William Nicholson "Your lines are garbage but I'm the greatest actor in the world and I can make even garbage sound good".

But that was nothing compared to the biggest problem the film faced - Creator/OliverReed, cast in what was supposed to be his Career Resurrection, died of a heart attack during filming in Malta before all of his scenes had been shot. Not only did this necessitate having the effects company spend $3 million creating a CGI body double, but it also caused story alterations (his character was supposed to make it through the end of the film, as opposed to dying near the climax).

** Originally, Maximus was supposed to fight ''Proximo'' in the Colliseum after being captured, probably as a penultimate KickTheDog from Commodus. Except [[ActorExistenceFailure Oliver Reed's death from a heart attack during production forced them to rewrite]].

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen Rodney Skinner]] tried to execute Maximus.
** [[Film/{{Braveheart}} Morrison]]/[[Series/SonsOfAnarchy Chibs]] is Maximus' servant.
** Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) [[Film/{{Signs}} survived an alien invasion]], [[Disney/BrotherBear became a grizzly bear]], [[Film/WalkTheLine had an amazing music career]], and [[Film/{{Her}} got into a relationship with an AI on his phone]].
** Maximus (Russell Crowe) [[Film/ManOfSteel became a Kryptonian and guides his son even in death]]. He [[Film/LesMiserables2012 sang too]], but let's not get into that.
** [[Film/HarryPotter Professor Dumbledore]] (Richard Harris) hoped that Maximus would succeed him as Emperor.

** David Franzoni's original script had Maximus named Narcissus, Commodus being strangled in the baths (as he was by the real Narcissus), the fight at the Colosseum against a rhinoceros instead of tigers and Lucilla not making it to the end of the movie but being executed (as she was in reality) along with some senators inside a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull Sicilian Bull]]. The rhinos became tigers because it was impossible train real rhinos and CGI replacements didn't look convincing. The other things were changed because of RealityIsUnrealistic.

** David Franzoni's original script had Maximus named Narcissus, Commodus being strangled in the baths (as in RL by the real Narcissus), the fight at the Colosseum against a rhinoceros instead of tigers and Lucilla not making it to the end of the movie but being executed (as she was in reality) along with some senators inside a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull Sicilian Bull]]. The rhinos became tigers because it was impossible train real rhinos and CGI replacements didn't look convincing. The other things were changed because of RealityIsUnrealistic.

** Commodus [[Film/{{Signs}} survived an alien invasion]], [[Disney/BrotherBear became a grizzly bear]], [[Film/WalkTheLine had an amazing music career]], and [[Film/{{Her}} got into a relationship with an AI on his phone]].
** Maximus [[Film/ManOfSteel became a Kryptonian and guides his son even in death]]. He [[Film/LesMiserables2012 sang too]], but let's not get into that.
** [[Film/HarryPotter Professor Dumbledore]] hoped that Maximus would succeed him as Emperor.

*** That would make a pretty good [[BetterByADifferentName (non-related)]] video game.

* StarMakingRole: An AcademyAward-winning one for Creator/RussellCrowe.

* AFIS100HeroesAndVillains:

** Music/NickCave was asked to pen a sequel. It featured poor Maximus being reincarnated by the Roman gods, then teleported across time to fight as a soldier in ''every war ever fought''. His "touching the earth" thing became a "ritual" to keep him sane. [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs No, really]].

** Commodus went on to [[Film/{{Signs}} survive an alien invasion]] and [[Film/{{Her}} got into a relationship with an AI on his phone]].
** Maximus [[Film/ManOfSteel became a Kryptonian and guides his son even in death]].

** David Franzoni's original script had Maximus named Narcissus, Commodus being strangled in the baths (as in RL by the real Narcissus), the fight at the Colosseum against a rhinoceros instead of tigers and Lucilla not making it to the end of the movie but being executed (as she was in reality) along with some senators inside a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull Sicilian Bull]]. The rhinos became tigers because it was impossible train real rhinos and CGI replacements didn't look convincing. The other things were changed because of RealiyIsUnrealistic.

** Originally, Maximus was supposed to fight ''Proximo'' in the Colliseum after being captured, probably as a penultimate KickTheDog from Commodus.

** David Franzoni's original script had Maximus named Narcissus, Commodus being strangled in the baths (as in RL by the real Narcissus), the fight at the Colosseum against a rhinoceros instead of tigers and Lucilla not making it to the end of the movie but being executed (as she was in reality) along with some senators inside a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull Sicilian Bull]].

** [[Film/{{Braveheart}} Morrison]] is Maximus' servant.