Ridley Scott reflects on his iconic career, says he will never stop directing

At nearly 87 years old Ridley Scott shows no signs of slowing down In a candid interview the legendary director reflected on his remarkable fivedecade career from groundbreaking films like Alien and Blade Runner to the highly anticipated Gladiator II which has already sparked early buzzAnd as for retirement Scott has no interest in it In fact he plans to keep making movies until I goFrom his early days in the industry to his ongoing work in historical epics and producing hit projects Scotts longevity and work ethic have remained unmatchedIn an interview with The Hollywood Reporter when asked about his prodigious productivity despite his age Scott responded without hesitation I wouldnt be doing it if directing felt like work Its my passion and therefore my pleasureHe shared how his love for filmmaking fuels him even through personal physical challenges like knee issues from his overzealous tennis playingIve damaged myself with too much tennis but when we were doing Gladiator II we were in 112degree heat and I had to be out there he jokedScotts career began at 40 a late start compared to contemporaries like Spielberg Lucas and Coppola who were all in their 20s when they began making wavesBut Scott with only a showreel of his television commercials quickly proved that age was no barrier to successFrom his directorial debut with The Duelists 1977 to the iconic Alien and Blade Runner Scott has created a body of work that remains as influential today as it was when first releasedOf course Scott is best known for his historical epics and Gladiator II is no exceptionI know Scott said with a sly smile when complimented on the sequels success adding You never count your chickens but sometimes you know in an interview with The Hollywood ReporterThe film which is generating early Oscar buzz follows the story of Lucius a character introduced in the original Gladiator played by Paul MescalScott who has a knack for casting revealed that Mescals performance as Lucius surprised even himThis kid is interesting he said after watching Normal People adding He looks like Richard Harris Suddenly it came togetherGladiator II is already shaping up to be a big hit with Scott praising its potential for success especially given its thematic and visual depthGladiator II is an upcoming epic historical action film directed and coproduced by Ridley Scott It is a sequel to Gladiator 2000 the film was written by David Scarpa It stars Paul Mescal Pedro Pascal Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles from the first filmGladiator II will be in theatres on November 22When asked about a possible longer cut by The Hollywood Reporter Scott teased Maybe later Id rather get into Gladiator III Ive already got an ideaScotts passion for filmmaking is legendary He candidly expressed that he has no plans to retire anytime soonWhen I go he said adding Im 86 now so Ive still got a few to go during an interview with The Hollywood ReporterScotts defiance against the idea of retirement was sparked by Quentin Tarantinos recent announcement that he plans to retire after his tenth filmI dont believe it Scott said adding Shut up and go make another movieDespite the challenges of his busy career Scott maintains a sharp focus on what matters his craftIts my reward to be allowed to do what I do he said reflecting on his careers longevity and his personal satisfaction from continuing to createThroughout his storied career Scott has faced ups and downs including the loss of his brother director Tony Scott and occasional critical misfiresBut through it all he has remained a force in the industry Even without an Oscar win despite being nominated for Gladiator Scott finds reward in his work and the legacy hes builtIve been knighted twice he told The Hollywood Reporter noting that his honours including being made a Knight of the British Empire have been a greater source of pride than any awardI miss my brother Scott addedLooking ahead Scott has no intention of stopping In addition to Gladiator II he is also overseeing major TV projects including Blade Runner 2099 and Alien EarthAnd if his plans for a Bee Gees biopic are any indication Scott is always up for a new challenge as he said Nothing worse than a rock star trying to be an actor but I like being on thin ice Scott said of the upcoming biopic a project unlike anything hes done beforeAs per The Hollywood Reporter for Scott its all about continuing to explore and expand his creative horizonsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever