You know you’re in for at treat when you sit down to watch a Ridley Scott movie. The 87-year-old British director has directed 30 films: his first, The Duellists with Tom Conti and Harvey Keitel, came out in 1977, and his newest, The Dog Stars, starring Guy Pearce and Josh Brolin, is due in 2026.
What’s perhaps as impressive as his epic vision as a director, has been his important – and frequently unorthodox – choices. For 1979’s Alien, he cast Sigourney Weaver over the more traditional male hero. He only agreed to direct 1982’s Blade Runner after becoming inpatient and leaving what became 1994’s Dune. Scott bought the rights to 1991’s Thelma & Louise for $500,000 after chancing upon the script. He was convinced to direct 2000’s Gladiator when he was shown a 19th century painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme of the crowd giving a thumbs down (as in: kill him) to a winning gladiator, standing over his defeated opponent.
