Long time Ridley Scott collaborator slams the Gladiator 2 director for being "lazy" and "impatient" with his filmmaking: "Having lots of cameras I don’t think has made the films any better"

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

John Mathieson, the cinematographer for both Gladiator films, has slammed Ridley Scott's recent filmmaking habits in a new interview.

Speaking on The DocFix podcast, Mathieson described Scott's tendency to leave things in shot to be later cleaned up in post-production as "lazy".

“It’s really lazy. It’s the CG elements now of tidying-up, leaving things in shot, cameras in shot, microphones in shot, bits of set hanging down, shadows from [boom mics]. And they just said [on Gladiator 2], ‘Well, clean it up.'"

“Having lots of cameras I don’t think has made the films any better," Mathieson said. "It’s a bit rush, rush, rush. That’s changed in him. But that’s the way he wants to do it and I don’t like it and I don’t think many people do, but people love his films and he’s Ridley Scott and can do what he wants.”

Our own Gladiator 2 review lauded the director's "cinematic power" in the historical epic. Reviewer Kelechi Ehenulo wrote, "It’s far from his best work, but the return to form by Scott is notable, proving that he still has the cinematic power to visually engage and excite audiences. Are you not entertained? Well, Scott still possesses the magic."

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I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.