Ridley Scott’s Go-To Production Designer Arthur Max Wants Him to Do a ‘New York City-Based Gangster Movie’ Next

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Arthur Max, the production designer for “Gladiator II”, has a long-standing collaboration with costume designer Janty Yates. They’ve worked together on over a dozen movies dating back to the original “Gladiator” film in 2004. This partnership, as Max endearingly puts it, is a deep level of teamwork that he refers to as a “serious degree of collaboration.

Director Ridley Scott, who’s previously brought us “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Prometheus,” and “Napoleon,” once again leans on his experienced team to create environments and fashion costumes. In this new project, Yates and Max are back in the fray to style and design “Gladiator II.” This epic film features Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger as its stars.

Ridley Scott’s team helps him create settings and costumes for his movies like “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Prometheus,” and “Napoleon.” This time, the same team is working on “Gladiator II,” which has Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger as its actors.

As the brutal conquerors seize control over my hometown, once the proud heart of Rome, I, Lucius (Mescal), am compelled to step into the colossal arena known as the Colosseum. My determination burns brightly within me, driven by the yearning to restore the former grandeur of Rome for its people.

In the initial stages, Max frequently visits Yates’ trailer to check out what adorns her walls, while at other times, they communicate via phone calls.

Yates explains it’s quite natural,” he says. “We aim to finalize the color scheme early on, to avoid clashes like red dresses next to red walls.

In this discussion, we delve into the collaborative experience with Scott, explore their creative methods, and express their aspirations regarding their preferred musical genres and dreams.

You’ve both said Ridley is a painter. Is that when it comes to working with him and being creative?

Janty Yates: He’s an exceptional painter, and he’s enlightened me. I’ve encountered painters I wouldn’t have otherwise, but I hadn’t met Jean-Léon Gérôme until we began working on “Gladiator.” A Gérôme painting featuring a raised gladiator sword was the heart of that movie.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, the Dutch painter, was a huge influence on the first movie.

I’ve just learned so much from Ridley. I’m just the facilitator.

Arthur Max notes that Tadema’s work has been extensively referenced. He significantly impacted the classic film industry. The character of the egg juggler in our first movie was inspired by one of his artworks. Therefore, we often draw significant inspiration from him.

What was it like getting that call from Ridley saying he was making the sequel?

Yates: It was aboard “Napoleon” where we first heard the whisper. David Crossman, my fellow costume designer, and I exchanged a knowing glance, saying in unison, “Ah-ha.

Ridley requested that David assist too, relieving me entirely of military responsibilities – a truly remarkable gesture. This allowed me to focus on exploring various fabrics and trimmings instead.

As a devoted admirer, I must admit I harbored some reservations about manipulating a true masterwork. However, Ridley’s execution was nothing short of impressive. It’s incredibly challenging to replicate the enchantment of something so flawlessly executed. Nonetheless, I chose to embrace it, reasoning that if anyone could do it, it might as well be me.

How would you describe your shorthand with Ridley?

Yates might remark, “Recall the film we worked on together before? Let’s approach this similar to that, or think of a character from it.” [chuckles]

Max: He instructs me to visit Janty. We won’t delve into specifics since our extensive collaboration history suggests that such a directive carries a broader implication across the film.

Is there a genre you’d love Ridley to do?

You’ve accomplished almost every significant thing on Earth, and here are some examples: We’ve ventured into space no less than thrice, immersed ourselves in the Middle Ages at least three different occasions, and experienced the 1970s as well.

Tudor?

Max proposes creating an exceptionally stylish, sophisticated New York City-inspired mob film that surpasses the work of Scorsese. He’s keen on securing a Midtown Art Deco setting for this project.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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2025-02-08 00:50