2000's Gladiator might be regarded as a classic now, but heck, did it have some bumps on its way to the screen. A script that was a long way from finished. A leading man, er, 'not too thrilled' with the fact said screenplay was constantly in flux. The death of Oliver Reed before the end of filming. And the worries of a studio that happened to be making its biggest-ever film. The story is told in this episode. Plus, the second half is spent in the company of BAFTA-winning director Morgan Matthews, chatting about films such as 500 Miles (now in UK cinemas), The Railway Children Return, X+Y, and a £1 bet. Please leave a nice review and subscribe. Thank you for supporting this independent podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices