The cinematographer for Gladiator 2 branded its director Ridley Scott "impatient" in a recent interview. John Mathieson, who worked with the renowned British director on both 2000's Gladiator and its 2024 sequel,

Gladiator II’s cinematographer has accused Sir Ridley Scott of lazy filmmaking. John Mathieson, the award-winning director’s long-time cinematographer, accused Sir Ridley ’s method of becoming “rushed”.

John Mathieson gave a reflective interview speaking of how the director had 'changed' and was now 'quite impatient' on set adding this had had a negative impact on the finished product.