Gladiator II cinematographer and longtime Ridley Scott collaborator John Mathieson had some strong words for the legendary director, saying that he’s changed for the worse in how he makes movies. What did the Gladiator II cinematographer say?

And while Ridley Scott only began working with DP John Mathieson with 2000’s Gladiator, the two have had enough collaborations for Mathieson to know just how Scott operates. And apparently that’s not always for the better.

Upon listening to his episode on the podcast in question, John Mathieson noticed the severe truncation of the talk he’d given to Nigel Levy. Gladiator II’s DP even noted that he could tell that it felt like quotes were rearranged and deleted that would have filled out the sentiment he’d expressed above.

The cinematographer for Gladiator 2 branded its director Ridley Scott "impatient" in a recent interview. John Mathieson, who worked with the renowned British director on both 2000's Gladiator and its 2024 sequel, criticized Scott's increasing reliance on CGI.

Gladiator II has only just arrived in theaters, but the sequel's cinematographer, John Mathieson, is making it clear that he didn't enjoy his latest collaboration with filmmaker Sir Ridley

Gladiator II' DP & Podcaster Fall On Swords For A Botched Edit That Inferred DP Called Ridley Scott Shooting Style 'Lazy'

Gladiator II cinematographer John Mathieson isn't a fan of how director Ridley Scott handled the process for the historical epic.