It’s been about four months since COVID-19 was officially deemed a pandemic, and despite the fact that people nationwide are rushing to get back outside, the virus hasn’t gone anywhere. While public concern over COVID seems to have shifted from full-blown terror to irresponsible boredom, the numbers keep climbing. Though CNN reports that 17 states across the country are reporting a decline in new cases — including New York, the springtime epicenter of the virus in America — 23 states are reporting a rise in cases.

As of Mid-June, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, 9 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, resulting in over 468,000 deaths. In America, over 2.5 million people have become infected with the virus, resulting in over 120,000 deaths nationwide. CNN reported last week that ten states saw a record number of coronavirus cases — with Alabama, Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas all reporting their highest seven-day averages since the start of the pandemic. This week, states like Florida and Texas have continued to see a rise in cases.

Anyone hoping that the coronavirus would sort of just… disappear with the arrival of summer weather needs to accept that that isn’t going to happen. Even accounting for increased testing, the data doesn’t support a summer slowdown in much of the country. As states continue to ramp up their reopening processes, it’s important that we each take stock of everything we currently know about how this virus is transmitted. That way, if we do decide to venture outside, test the waters in a park or public space, or try a contact-less road trip, we’re doing our part not to further spread the virus in our communities. Keep in mind that while in all likelihood you’ll survive your brush with COVID-19 (assuming you don’t have any preexisting conditions), being a carrier puts vulnerable populations around you at risk.

This is a communal issue: we all have a responsibility to help keep people safe. Because, you know, we’re living in a society. So read up on everything currently known about COVID-19 transmission.

What Scientists Know

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is spread from an infected individual by way of respiratory droplets that are dispersed when talking, coughing, sneezing, and even breathing. When enough virus from an infected individual enters your respiratory system, the virus makes its way to the respiratory tract, where it binds to ACE-2 receptors, replicates, and causes infection. While surfaces can become contaminated, the Wall Street Journal reports that scientists have found that contraction of the virus by way of contaminated surfaces, or brief and fleeting encounters with infected individuals, is highly unlikely and that the major way a person contracts the virus is through extended periods of interaction in a poorly ventilated space.

That means that things like plexiglass barriers at the market, good ventilation systems, outdoor dining, and yes, wearing masks, actually are an effective way of preventing spread.

How Effective Are Face Masks?

We know N95 masks filter out over 95% of viral particles when worn correctly. So those definitely work. But what about that stylish new cloth face mask you’re rocking? Is that doing anything? While scientists can’t say how definitively effective a cloth mask is, several studies have shown that face mask requirements are keeping us safer. A lot of mask haters out there will quickly point out that face masks don’t protect a non-sick person from getting sick, but they can prevent a sick person from easily spreading the virus. Respiratory droplets can survive in the air and linger in aerosols, so the less respiratory droplets an infected person is spreading, the better, and since you can have the coronavirus and be completely asymptomatic, it’s just safer if everyone wears one.

A study published in The Proceedings Of the National Academy of Sciences found that mask policies in the epicenters of the Wuhan and New York City outbreaks may have prevented tens of thousands of infections. Researchers in the study noted a change in infection trends in both Italy and New York City once governments enforced mask-wearing. In New York City, mask-wearing policies resulted in a 3% per day decline in the city’s daily infection rate. The researchers concluded that “Face covering prevents both airborne transmission by blocking atomization and inhalation of virus-bearing aerosols and contact transmission by blocking viral shedding of droplets.”

Similarly, a review of over 170 observational studies published in The Lancet, found that face masks could result in a large reduction of risk of infection, especially when combined with physical distancing.

How Serious Is Asymptomatic Spread?

Pretty serious. While the World Health Organization seemed to suggest last week that asymptomatic spread was very rare, they’ve since reclarified their position and the hard truth is we just don’t know how much asymptomatic spread has driven the number of cases globally. What we do know is that whether you’re asymptomatic or not having the virus means you’re capable of spreading it.

WebMD points to a study conducted by The Scripps Research Institute that suggests that as many as 45% of people infected with COVID-19 show no symptoms. When you consider that respiratory droplets containing infectious viral loads can be spread by simply talking and breathing, and nearly half of all people infected with the virus have no symptoms, it’s seems at (at least on an intuitive level) likely for an asymptomatic person to spread the coronavirus without even knowing they have it.

Which is just another reason you should absolutely wear your mask.

Exposure Time Matters

Prolonged exposure to the virus is a major factor in the transmission of COVID-19. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, John Brooks, the chief medical officer for the COVID-19 response team at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention defined prolonged exposure as 15 minutes or more of unprotected contact with someone less than six feet away.

“The longer you spend in that environment… the more virus you breathe in, the more it can build up and establish infection,” says Erin Bromage, a comparative immunologist, and professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, while speaking to CNN, “It’s always a balance of exposure and time. If you get a high level of exposure, it’s a short time (to infection, and if you get a) low level of exposure, it’s a longer time before that infection can establish.”

Poorly ventilated spaces in which people are in close proximity, sharing air, is a recipe for what is called a “superspreading” event, like what happened in a Washington church choir practice in March — where a single infected individual infected 87% of the attendees after a 2 1/2 hour practice. CNN also points to an incident at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China on January 24th, where a single infected person spread the virus to four people are their table, two people at a nearby table, and another three at another nearby table after an air conditioner in the restaurant recirculated the respiratory droplets to other patrons.

As you can imagine, these dangers pose a risk as we begin to reopen the economies of several states and allow in-person dining and church services to continue. It’s also the reason why we shouldn’t have gyms, concert venues, indoor conferences, or bars opened until we develop widespread testing, contact tracing, and systems to isolate those who have become infected or exposed.

Are Any Treatments Promising?

While it’s true that a majority of people who contract coronavirus will suffer little more than symptoms that match a fever, a new study published in Lancet Global Health found that 22% of the entire global population has at least one pre-existing health condition that would put them at risk for suffering severe symptoms from COVID-19 infection. If you’re one of those 22% percent with a pre-existing condition or even know someone who is, that’s a pretty scary fact. Hydroxychloroquine, a drug once touted by President Trump as a “miracle,” has been found to be ineffective by studies conducted by the Veterans Health Administration and the University of Minnesota, and the drug’s emergency use authorization has since been revoked by the FDA. However, Remdesivir, another promising early drug has been shown in a study by the New England Journal of Medicine to reduce deaths amongst several ill patients and reduce the time patients spend in the hospital.

Additionally, a recent clinical trial conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford found that a cheap commonly prescribed steroid, dexamethasone, can greatly reduce mortality among hospitalized patients on ventilators and oxygen support. But while some drugs have proven promising in the treatment of COVID-19, it’s important to remember that none of them are cure-alls.

What We Don’t Know

Unfortunately, the list of things we don’t know about the virus is pretty substantial. One of the major things we don’t know yet is just how much viral load it takes to cause an infection or whether that varies from person to person. We also have no idea whether people who have contracted the virus now have long term antibodies to provide immunity to future infection. That leaves prospects like a second wave doubly troubling.

But the biggest and most important thing we still don’t know is when we’ll have access to a viable vaccine. Market Watch reports that there are currently 13 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 in clinical trials, and while some studies show promise, the process for a vaccine to be developed safely can take years. Just this morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Congress that he is “cautiously optimistic” for a vaccine by the end of 2020.

In an Instagram video honoring the late director Joel Schumacher, singer/songwriter Seal revealed the story of how “Kiss From a Rose” made it into Batman Forever and basically saved his entire career. While the song is synonymous with the 1994 Batman film and is arguably one of the defining hits of the 1990s, it actually was a flop when it was first released. According to Seal, if it wasn’t for Batman Forever, “Kiss From a Rose” would’ve vanished into the ether.

“It was the fourth song from my second album, fourth single, and it went into the charts at number 60, dropped to 80-something the next week, and that was the end of it,” Seal says in the video. “It was over, the promotion of that second album was done.”

As Seal tells it, he was working on his third album when Schumacher reached out, identified himself as a fan, and asked if he had anything to use for a love song for Batman Forever. A downtrodden Seal said he had nothing at the time, but fortunately, the singer talked to his manager who passed along “Kiss From a Rose.” Schumacher loved it so much that he made it the end credits song and directed the hugely popular music video, which rocketed Seal to superstar fame. He went on to win three Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and it was all thanks to a phone call from Schumacher. Via Comic Book:

“I wanted to tell you that story because I didn’t think a lot of people knew that. It’s the song that has pretty much defined my career and I am perhaps most popular or most known by it. So I owe my career I guess, in large part, to Joel Schumacher, who took a chance….I just want to say I love you Joel. I thank you very much for everything that you’ve done for me and the joy and the love that you’ve brought to millions of people all around the world.”

You can watch Seal’s tribute to Joel Schumacher below:

(Via Seal on Instagram)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the highly-anticipated sophomore solo album from Phoebe Bridgers, a bouncing new track from Khruangbin, and new albums from Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher

Phoebe Bridgers has become something of a ubiquitous name in the indie scene since the release of her debut album Stranger In The Alps. On her sophomore solo album, Bridgers is more confident than ever, and the album’s thirteen tracks are packed to the gills with infectious choruses and devastatingly personal lyrics. On Punisher, Bridgers delivers her masterwork, proving once again that she is one of the best songwriters out there right now.

Neil Young — Homegrown

The latest in a string of “lost” albums, Neil Young has shared Homegrown, a time capsule from the mid-1970s. It captures the rocker in what Steven Hyden calls for Uproxx Young’s “ditch” period, where he was making records full of “lurching tempos that teeter on the brink of chemical-addled collapse, pedal-steel and harmonica licks that sigh like cries of despair after the bar closes, a vibe of utter spiritual and emotional exhaustion that somehow conveys deep melancholic beauty (rather just plain old apathy or cynicism), and an effortless mix of rowdy country and surly hard rock that pretty much every middle-American band has tried to rip off for more than 40 years.”

Bob Dylan — Rough And Rowdy Ways

Another legend returned with new music this week, as Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan released a collection of new songs examining the JFK assassination, The Rolling Stones, and more. There’s a sense of effortlessness that pervades the LP, and “Rough And Rowdy Ways is the work of a man who has achieved everything an artist could possibly set out to do, and now feels empowered to be even more idiosyncratic and perverse,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.

Owen — The Avalanche

The solo project of American Football’s Mike Kinsella, Owen’s output takes on a more sparse, lush orchestral approach than American Football’s emo twinkle. The Avalanche is a deeply personal and direct reflection on Kinsella’s relationships and the process of getting older.

Amnesia Scanner — Tearless

By combining elements of house/club music with notable hardcore and metal artists, this Finnish duo accomplish something truly unique and impressive with Tearless. It’s loud, brash, and unexpected, but manages to work in a way that few artists are able to pull off.

Khruangbin — “Pelota”

Ahead of their third record, Mordechai, Khruangbin have been rolling out a series of eccentric singles, and “Pelota” is another impressive entry in the rollout. It showcases a medley of international influences through the “rhythm-forward production and bassist Laura Lee Ochoa trying her hand at vocals, something that wasn’t seen on much of the band’s former projects,” according to Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

The Beths — “Out Of Sight”

With their sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers just a few weeks out, The Beths have shared another rocking new track to build anticipation. The track is an exercise in vulnerability for the Kiwi group. “We are trying to listen more deeply and be more open ended, it was confronting to do and sometimes even frustrating,” said vocalist Elizabeth Stokes in a statement.

Idles — “Grounds”

With the announcement of a new Idles album came a brand new single. “Grounds” is “a song that embodied self-belief, and gave us self-belief — a counter-punch to all the doubt we build up from all the noise we so easily let in,” according to frontperson Joe Talbot. Sonically, the track chugs and builds in tension, embracing a darker side of the band than the album’s lead single “Mr. Motivator.”

Nana Adjoa — “Throw Stones”

As a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer, Nana Adjoa has her work cut out for her on her forthcoming debut album. “Throw Stones” proves that she is up to the task, however. It’s a song about “calming myself down in difficult times,” Adjoa wrote in a statement. “To feel, regroup, and reflect. If you need that right now, to feel it to embrace it and slowly heal, you can listen to this song and count to 10.” It’s a lesson we could all use right about now.

Neck Deep — “Fall”

Pop-punk stalwarts Neck Deep are back next month with their new album, All Distortions Are Intentional. Now, they’ve shared another taste of the album, a love song to skateboarding and the community culture that builds around the sport. Any of us who have enjoyed Jackass can understand.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Fenne Lily’s relatable lyricism and captivating candor quickly cemented her a fan base following her self-released debut record Hold On. Lily is now signed to Dead Oceans, becoming label-mates with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Khruangbin. After ushering in a new era with the singles “To Be A Woman Pt. 2” and “Hypochondriac,” the singer has now announced her sophomore record, Breach, with the diaristic single “Alapathy.”

Opening with a driving snare, Lily breathily delivers poetic prose in, “Alapathy.” “I lose my mind under the glow of a temporary fade / Validate my fervency / To be so bound never looked so free / Allopathic remedies for now,” she sings with a sense of urgency.

In a statement about the album as a whole, the singer detailed why she chose title her record Breach. “That feels like what I was doing in this record; I was breaking through a wall that I built for myself, keeping myself safe, and dealing with the downside of feeling lonely and alone,” Lily said. “I realized that I am comfortable in myself, and I don’t need to fixate on relationships to make myself feel like I have something to talk about. I felt like I broke through a mental barrier in that respect.”

Listen to “Alapathy” above and find Fenne Lily’s Breach cover art and tracklist below.

1. “To Be A Woman Pt. 1”
2. “Alapathy”
3. “Berlin”
4. “Elliott”
5. “I, Nietzsche”
6. “Birthday”
7. “Blood Moon”
8. “Solipsism”
9. “I Used To Hate My Body But Now I Just Hate You’
10. “’98”
11. “Someone Else’s Trees”
12. “Laundry And Jet Lag”

Breach is out 9/18 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

Paul George’s rise to stardom in the NBA began in Indiana, where at one point the Pacers presented the biggest challenge to LeBron James and the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference throne.

However, the Pacers never crested that hill before George requested a trade out of Indiana in 2017, ending up in Oklahoma City for two seasons before successfully requesting a second trade to the Clippers to team up with Kawhi Leonard this past offseason. While his departure from the Thunder seemed amicable, an end to two disappointing seasons on a team that simply wasn’t working out, that wasn’t the case with the Pacers.

On the most recent episode of the Knuckleheads podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on The Players Tribune, George went into greater detail on all of the steps that led him to requesting out of Indiana, explaining how his trust in the Pacers front office eroded over the years.

George cites how Danny Granger was treated after his injury and the trade of George Hill as what seeded that distrust, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2017 that he finally was fed up. According to George, “the top power forward” in the league wanted to join him in Indiana, but the front office told him they couldn’t afford him, and came back with a “top-20, 25 power forward” to ask him about. It was at that point that George realized “they don’t wanna win,” and told his agent to request a trade.

A quick look at the list of free agents in 2017 makes it not too difficult to narrow down who George may be talking about when it comes to the “top power forward” in the league, as it’s likely Blake Griffin (who re-signed with the Clippers that summer) or, possibly, Kevin Durant depending on George’s definition of power forward. Either way, it’s a fascinating “what if?” scenario. Griffin going to Indiana likely means George stays with the Pacers and, as such, the Clippers don’t end up with Kawhi this summer. If it’s Durant, which seems unlikely, then we’re talking about the Warriors never bringing him in and all manner of domino effects from that.

In any case, that didn’t happen and George quickly made the decision to push his way out of Indiana, which has worked out fairly well for all parties. The Pacers have remained a solid playoff team in the East, thanks to the emergence of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis as All-Star players from the George trade. The Thunder were able to kickstart a rebuild with a treasure trove of draft picks and a young talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while maintaining a playoff spot in the West in the immediate. Meanwhile, George is now on a title contender in his hometown playing for the Clippers.

Tessa Thompson, Michael B. Jordan, Zoë Kravitz, and Sam Richardson, among hundreds of other Black artists and studio executives, have signed a letter asking Hollywood to divest from police and anti-Black content. The letter, written by Miss Juneteenth and Insecure star Kendrick Sampson and developed by Thompson and Black Lives Matter co-founders Patrisse Cullors and Melina Abdullah, notes that “Hollywood and mainstream media have contributed to the criminalization of Black people, the misrepresentation of the legal system, and the glorification of police corruption and violence” and how that’s “had dire consequences on Black lives.”

It reads:

“Even with the recent successes of Black-led and produced films and television, myths of limited international sales and lack of universality of Black-led stories are used to reduce our content to smaller budgets and inadequate marketing campaigns. White people make up the smallest racial demographic globally, yet their stories are seen as internationally universal. When we do get the rare chance to tell our stories, our development, production, distribution, and marketing processes are often marred, filtered, and manipulated by the white gaze.”

On top of divesting from police and anti-Black content, the letter, which was also signed by numerous Black members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Billy Porter, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Idris Elba, Issa Rae, Octavia Spencer, and Viola Davis, also demands that Hollywood invest in anti-racist content and in “our community” and “our careers.”

You can read the whole letter here, and see the full list of demands at BLDPWR.

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Following a period of relative musical inactivity, JoJo has mounted a successful return. Her 2016 album, Mad Love, achieved a peak of No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and her latest, this year’s Good To Know, bowed at the same position on the Top R&B Albums chart. Now she has given her fans more of what they want with a new video for “Small Things.”

JoJo shared a note about the song and surreal video, writing in its description:

“I’ve been trying to wait for the right moment to share this video with you. With everything going on in the world and in our own backyard, I didn’t want anyone to misconstrue its release as some kind of indication that I’ve moved on from the revolution at hand, here in America. I want to say it clear as day: Black people made me who I am. Not only my longest standing friendships, but also the record executives, mentors, teachers, romantic partners, and loyal fans who believed in me and took a chance on me – they have all shaped me. Without their support in every way, and without the artists who inspire me to make music, I would not exist. My support for Black lives/art/love/safety/freedom is not a phase nor does it have an expiration date. I’m honored to be a part of R&B culture and I never take my warm reception for granted.

Here’s a piece of art that we made to express how painful it can be to hold in your feelings. To act like you’re okay, when- in all honesty- you’re not. I wanted to video to feel like catharsis.

A special thank you to these beautiful artists/dancers for blessing this video with their incredible talents – Morgan Choice, Halima Dodo, Dominique Battiste and Alexandra Carson.

‘The function of freedom is to try to free someone else.’ – Toni Morrison

Always grateful. Always yours,
Jo.”

Watch the “Small Things” video above.

JoJo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen is a show that’s only become more prescient in today’s America, but its future remains as murky as ever. Despite rave reviews from critics and viewers alike, there hasn’t been much in the way of progress on a second season of the superhero drama. And that includes some less-than committed statements from one of the show’s stars.

Variety reported Tuesday that Regina King, who stared as Angela Abar in all nine episode of the 2019 miniseries, isn’t sure if there will be a second season of the show. Appearing in the magazine’s Actors On Actors issue with Reese Witherspoon (herself the star of an HBO series with an uncertain future), King said it’s basically up to showrunner Damon Lindelof.

“I don’t know,” King told Witherspoon when asked about more episodes. “Honestly, I feel like I think HBO would want it back in a heartbeat, but if [showrunner] Damon Lindelof doesn’t see an entry point for Season 2, I think that the possibilities are infinite. But I feel that if Damon doesn’t see it, then it’s going to be a no for me.”

Relying on Lindelof for more Watchmen, however, isn’t great news for anyone who wants to see more of the show as soon as possible. He’s already admitted he’s skeptical about whether a second season that can build on the stunning one that’s already aired, calling the door “barely ajar” for more another go-round.

“I never wanna close the door completely because if two, three years from now I say, I just had another idea, it will be that much harder to open. But I would say it’s barely ajar. I think that there are no current plans to make any more Watchmen. If the idea comes, I would be enthusiastic about it, the idea may not come from me. I would be super excited about it coming from someone else. So my position hasn’t changed,” Lindelof told Deadline back in February at the WGAW Awards.

Those are not exactly exciting signs if you want more of the show, but in a way it’s good that King has verbally committed to staying involved if Lindelof came up with a way forward. It’s unclear if HBO would try to make more without him, but King strongly implies here that she’s only in if he’s in, too, which complicates it even further.

Either way, we’ll always have Lube Man.

For twenty years a sequel to the Best Picture-winning Gladiator has been tossed around off and on. On the surface, it makes sense to make a sequel to an extremely popular film that won Best Picture (and has just been reissued with a brand new 4K disc). But, then again (spoiler alert), the fact Russell Crowe’s Maximus doesn’t survive the movie is kind of a problem. But it appears producer Douglas Wick and director Ridley Scott have maybe figured something out.

For Gladiator‘s 20th anniversary, I spoke to producer Douglas Wick who takes us through the ups and downs of trying to get this movie made (it was never easy). And, as it turns out, on the day we spoke Wick had just gotten off the phone with Scott about that sequel, and when I asked what he feels the odds are of it happening, he says it’s “more than 50 percent.”

I was watching your Oscar speech again. Do you wish you would have done a James Cameron and just went, “Are you not entertained?,” and just walked off? People would have remembered that.

The only problem with that is, they would remember you as just such a self-absorbed asshole. So, you’re working against that from the start.

It would be on every highlight reel though. You’d have to admit that.

It’s true though. You’re right.

Rewatching Gladiator, I found myself enjoying it more than I even thought I would, but also thinking this kind of movie wouldn’t win Best Picture today.

I mean, when you’re trying to guess on the Academy Awards, it’s always uphill. Occasionally movies that excel in a lot of different areas have a little bit of a shot. You know what I mean? If you’re in the music, production, design, costume, you start to get a little bit of a shot. If you were just a betting person, there’s a little bit of a thing where if you excel in all of those, because it’s a team sport: And when each member of the team does some of their best work, the team effort gets recognized.

While making it, did you think an Oscar was possible?

No, no. It was always one calamity after another, that, in retrospect, you either turned each of those disasters into an opportunity or each one was a nail in your coffin. And, so, as I’m sure you’ve read, there were challenges with a script along the way.

Yes.

By the way, the thing that’s not true is that there was ever just a 25-page draft. There were many, many, many drafts. But there were challenges. Like, at a certain point, fairly deep into the progress the discussion of, “Can you kill the leading man? And can that be part of a movie that’s this expensive?” So, as you’re racing towards the starting line, half-dressed, you’re worrying about all of those issues. You’re worrying about parts of the story that aren’t adding up. And so, no. You’re mostly hoping to survive.

Of all the movies you’ve done, is this the one that maybe caused the most stress during your life?

Well, in different ways. I mean, each has its challenges. On Stuart Little, I got a note in my office saying that the cat’s asshole had fallen off, and we had to shut down. With the stress, there’s a stress ailment called protruding asshole.

What?

Yeah. Stress-induced, and it was the only cat working that day, so we had to shut down. Gladiator had very specific challenges by the way the script was always evolving. When you’re working with Ridley Scott, who from fairly early on is sketching scenes, because he’s basically a painter, you’re seeing those, and you’re seeing what it could be. He very early on visualizes the whole movie. And then even when you say you can kill him, you have to have a Ridley who said, “Well, actually, I can deliver the afterlife. So it won’t be cheating. It will work.” So, there’s a million decisions all along the way that you’re struggling to make and not lose sight of the overview. And it’s only in retrospect that you kind of understand that at each one of those challenges, the movie got better instead of worse.

So how does the plan work to campaign for Best Picture? Gladiator came out on May. Do you go back to the studio and say, “I think we can make a run at this?”

The plan was, first, we’re going to try and find an audience for it.

Right.

And then everyone knew it was a big disadvantage for awards to open in May, but it was also an audience movie as much as it was an awards movie. I remember we were going to visit theaters that first Friday night. And as we pulled up, all the lines were guys dressed up in black leather jackets who were there to see a fight movie. And we were concerned. But the great life of the movie would be that it would rise as a drama. And interestingly, by Saturday night, when we visited theaters, there were suddenly equal parts women in line, which meant that the word was out that it was also a great drama. So that’s when you start to say, “Okay, this could really have a great life.”

Yeah I have friends who were too young to see this in theaters who think it’s just a bloody fight movie.

And by the way, a bunch of movies failed after Gladiator because they just did incredibly expensive dramas without the action. So it’s a very difficult balance to get.

A sequel has been talked about for 20 years. Take me through this. Is this still a thing?

It’s funny. I had, literally, two hours ago, a conversation with Ridley about the sequel, which we’re working on. And where we all feel Gladiator is a really unique movie. I mean, the main character of the movie is dead. So, when you start a new movie, it’s not like you say, “Oh, I’ve got a return role for these movie stars.” And also, everyone has such respect for the movie, that there’s just real clarity that unless we get it on paper, we’re not going to do it. No one wants some cynical shadow to make some bucks.

I read there was a script where Maximus traveled through time, showing up at different points in history like in Vietnam.

What’s that?

This was maybe ten years ago or so?

Oh, there was a Nick Cave script that Russell developed…

Yes, was that real?

Well, it was only real in that it was written. And it was basically about him trying to rejoin his family in the afterlife.

So was it was ever seriously considered?

No. That was, I think, too difficult and too kind of off-topic.

You said you spoke to Ridley Scott earlier today. What do you think the odds of this sequel happening is?

I’d certainly say more than 50 percent.

Those are good odds.

It’s also an honest answer.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.