Ridley Scott’s Upcoming Movies Are Even More Ambitious than You Think, Here’s the Full Slate

Most filmmakers slow down as they approach 90. Ridley Scott has apparently decided to do the opposite. With ‘The Dog Stars’ now playing in theaters, the director already has a jaw-dropping lineup of future projects lined up, each one wildly different from the last.

That’s become something of a signature move for Scott over the past few years, bouncing between genres and eras with a restlessness that would exhaust filmmakers half his age. Rather than settling into one lane after ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Gladiator II,’ he’s been quietly assembling one of the most ambitious slates in Hollywood.

According to a rundown shared by Feature First, Scott’s upcoming projects include ‘Treasure Island’ starring Hugh Jackman, an ‘Alien’ sequel starring Michael Fassbender, ‘Gladiator III’ starring Paul Mescal, and ‘You Should Be Dancing,’ a Bee Gees biopic. That’s on top of ‘The Dog Stars,’ starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, which is currently in cinemas.

‘Treasure Island’ looks to be the most immediate priority once press duties for ‘The Dog Stars’ wrap up. Jackman is set to play Long John Silver in the Robert Louis Stevenson adaptation, working from a script by ‘Adolescence’ writer Jack Thorne, with Sony Pictures currently in talks to distribute. Scott has said he’s aiming to begin shooting the pirate epic on November 1, with Owen Cooper reportedly eyed for the role of young Jim Hawkins.

Then there’s the long-gestating third ‘Alien’ prequel, which will center on Fassbender’s android character David. Scott confirmed the project is moving forward, describing David as building “a brave new world for himself” following the events of ‘Alien: Covenant.’ The director has also been vocal about his fascination with artificial intelligence as a storytelling device, noting that AI systems “can go off, and if they do, it’s like a bomb.”

‘Gladiator III’ remains in development as well, with Paul Mescal expected to reprise his role as Lucius. Scott has previously compared the direction of the sequel to ‘The Godfather Part II,’ describing a story about a man forced into a position of power he never wanted. Production has been eyed for locations including Malta, though Mescal’s growing slate of other commitments, including Sam Mendes’ Beatles project, has left some uncertainty around timing.

Rounding out the list is ‘You Should Be Dancing,’ Scott’s Bee Gees biopic that has been in various stages of development for years. The project has had a famously bumpy road, including a brief period where Scott stepped away entirely after what he described as Paramount “changing the goalposts” on the deal. He’s since returned to the film, which is being written by ‘Gladiator’ scribe John Logan and produced alongside ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ producer Graham King.

Taken all together, it’s a slate that spans pirates, killer androids, Roman politics, and disco legends, which is about as varied as a filmography can get. For a director who just turned 88, it’s a reminder that Scott shows no interest in coasting toward retirement, and if even half of these projects come together on schedule, audiences are looking at years of new Ridley Scott movies to look forward to.

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