A Fan Fixed The Gladiator 2 Trailer's Biggest Problem

All eyes are on Ridley Scott's latest historical epic, and so far, there's just one problem people have with it. In early July, Paramount Pictures debuted the first look at Scott's long-awaited "Gladiator" follow-up, but while the spectacle is there, the vibe of the historical epic seems off, with fans agreeing that they hated one thing about the "Gladiator 2" trailer. Many couldn't stand the use of Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," a contemporary rap song that viewers everywhere agree feels out of place. In fact, audience reaction to the musical choice was so pronounced that the "Gladiator 2" trailer has received a massive amount of dislikes on YouTube.

Since so many people were vocal about the creative misfire, YouTube user AD_edits took it upon themselves to fix the trailer by replacing the rap song with Hans Zimmer's iconic score from the original flick. They even went ahead and re-edited the entire trailer, making it shorter (it trims off around a minute of extra shots and scenes) and repurposing the footage to create an aura of mystery. The fan effort features Zimmer's "Now We Are Free," one of the most memorable tracks from the first "Gladiator." While this new version isn't as loud, bombastic, or action-heavy as the official first look, it feels more in line with what we would expect from a follow-up.

The trailer particularly excels at turning up the nostalgia factor, something the official footage surprisingly didn't do. As expected, fans are loving the fan-edited trailer, praising it for creating something more tonally in line with the original movie.

The YouTube video has been showered with positive comments, with many praising the editor for methodically taking the existing footage from "Gladiator 2" and turning it into something they believe is more interesting. "better than the actual trailer. what a difference the music makes," shared @yogendrabijwe. "Your edited trailer actually pumped me up for the movie. This was a stark contrast to how I was extremely turned off by the original trailer," added @Constellasian. Many fans, like @viskinneriv, are vocal about how the fan remix has made them excited for the sequel, writing, "Original Trailer: I feel like I've seen the Movie. Re-Edited Trailer with Nostalgic Han Zimmer Score: When can I see the movie?"

What's interesting is that most fans are praising the use of Hans Zimmer's iconic "Gladiator" score, but the Oscar-winning composer didn't return for the franchise's sophomore offering. While speaking with Curzon, Zimmer explained that one of the reasons he's not back for Ridley Scott's sequel is because he feels the first score is perfect. "I liked the idea of moving on and not getting compared to my own work," he candidly said, adding, "It wouldn't have mattered if I had written the most amazing score, because the music in the first movie sticks in people's hearts."

The upcoming film will be scored by Harry Gregson-Williams, who once served as Zimmer's assistant. In his chat with the outlet, Zimmer said that audiences are in good hands with Williams, who he believes will deliver a rousing follow-up to the original's sound.

"Gladiator 2" (complete with historically accurate water battles and sharks) hits multiplexes on November 22.