If you, like me, tuned in to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony expecting to see a congo line of jazz hands and child choirs, the image of a blood-drenched Marie Antoinette holding her own severed head from the window of the Bastille might have come as a quite a surprise. The unsanitised depiction of French history came replete with blood cannons firing a jet stream of red into the Seine while flames rose ferociously from the depths below. It was shocking, brutal and entirely captivating. Setting it to a soundtrack of ‘Ah! Ça Ira’, performed by French metal band Gojira, was simply the icing on Marie Antoinette’s infamous cake.
As I watched the remarkable performance on television, I couldn’t help but be inspired. These artists and creatives, at the very apex of their respective industries, provided the perfect curtain raiser to the world’s most incredible sporting event. There were nods to legacy and tradition, all interspersed with moments of true progression, acknowledging that history, while rooted in the past, is only made in the present.
Perhaps that’s why revered filmmaker Ridley Scott is also returning to the Colosseum. This month, the Academy Award-nominated director finally revealed a first look at his follow-up to the 2000 Russell Crowe-led smash hit Gladiator. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, the upcoming flick is a brutal, bloody and deeply fictional take on the Roman Empire, and it looks epic.
Scott’s Gladiator wasn’t the only comeback confirmed this month, either. Superhero juggernaut Marvel also announced that fan favourite Robert Downey Jr. is returning to The Avengers franchise in a confusing new role. The actor’s casting as Doctor Doom has left many fans scratching their heads and wondering if Marvel is losing the plot. If you ask me, that happened about four movies and three series ago, but who’s counting?
Where Marvel’s superhero business is headed is anyone’s guess, but with a reported valuation of around USD$54 billion, you can expect that it will get there in style. Perhaps in a new Aston Martin DB12 Volante or aboard Qatar Airways’ new QSuite Next Gen Business Class? Whatever the case, a new day is dawning and a new champion may well emerge victorious. The Olympics and a new Gladiator II trailer in the same month – dare I ask, are you not entertained?
