Ridley Scott is one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live, cited by many as a visionary auteur, a man capable of directing both intimate dramas and epic action films, from science fiction to war. But one thing has evaded the Englishman for his entire career — an Academy Award. That will change this year, but at 89 years old, Scott is in no mood for pussyfooting: he feels it’s long overdue.
While speaking exclusively with Collider’s Steve Weintraub ahead of the release of his newest film, The Dog Stars, Scott reacted to finally receiving an Honorary Academy Award at this year’s Governors Awards — and he didn’t exactly disagree when Weintraub suggested the recognition was long overdue. “It is about fucking time.”
Asked what finally receiving an Academy Award means to him, Scott explained that, jokes aside, the recognition genuinely carries a great deal of significance: “It means a lot. I mean, I have to be graceful and say, ‘Yes, it’s terrific. Thank you very much.’ A few people lobbied for me to get this, and I thank them, and I am honored.”
For all of Scott’s achievements behind the camera, the 88-year-old filmmaker has never won a competitive Academy Award. Scott has been nominated three times for Best Director, first for 1991’s Thelma & Louise, followed by Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. He received a fourth nomination as a producer when The Martian competed for Best Picture in 2016. Gladiator itself famously won Best Picture in 2001, but Scott lost the directing prize to Steven Soderbergh for Traffic.
The Academy announced in June that Scott will finally receive an Honorary Award at the 17th Governors Awards on November 15, alongside actor Glenn Close and legendary animator Floyd Norman. Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor described Scott as “a true visionary whose decades-long legacy has left an immeasurable impact on global cinema and culture.”
WhichSci-Fi World would you survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
The Matrix
Mad Max
Blade Runner
Dune
Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
<LABEL Class=CQ_BTN_NEXT» FOR=CQ_S4» NEXT QUESTION →
<SPANCLASS=CQ_QUESTION_TEXTHow do you deal with authority you don't trust?
<SPANCLASS=CQ_QUESTION_SUBEvery dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
APULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
BPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
CPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
DPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
EPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
NEXT QUESTION → LABEL>
<SPANCLASS=CQ_QUESTION_TEXTWhich environment could you actually endure long-term?
<SPANCLASS=CQ_QUESTION_SUBSurvival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
APULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
BPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
CPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
DPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
EPULL ON EVERY THREAD UNTIL I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM—THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT.
NEXT QUESTION → LABEL>
<SPANclass=cq_question_textWho do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
<SPANclass=cq_question_subThe company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
AA TIGHT CREW OF BELIEVERS WHO’VE SEEN BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
BA TIGHT CREW OF BELIEVERS WHO’VE SEEN BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
CA TIGHT CREW OF BELIEVERS WHO’VE SEEN BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
DA TIGHT CREW OF BELIEVERS WHO’VE SEEN BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
EA TIGHT CREW OF BELIEVERS WHO’VE SEEN BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.
NEXT QUESTION → LABEL>
<SPANclass=cqs_question_textWhere do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
<SPANclass=cqs_question_subEvery survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of.
AI WON’T HARM THE INNOCENT — EVEN THE ONES WHO’D REPORT ME WITHOUT HESITATION.
BI DO WHAT I HAVE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE I’VE CHOSEN. EVERYTHING ELSE IS NEGOTIABLE.
CThe line shifts depending on who’s asking and what’s at stake.
DI DRAW A LONGTERM LINE — NOTHING THAT COMPROMISE MY PEOPLE’S FUTURE EVEN IF IT’D HELP NOW.
EI KNOW WHICH ONES THEY ARE.
NEXT QUESTION → LABEL>
<SPANclass=cqs_question_textWhat would actually make survival worth it?
<SPANclass=cqs_question_subStaying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
AI’LL WAKE OTHERS UP—DISMANTLING THE ILLUSION SO NO ONE ELSE HAS TO LIVE INSIDE IT.
BI’LL FIND SOMEWHERE—OR SOMEONE—WORTH PROTECTING.A REASON TO KEEP MOVING.
CI’LL FIND SOMEWHERE—OR SOMEONE—WORTH PROTECTING.A REASON TO KEEP MOVING.
DI’LL FIND SOMEWHERE—OR SOMEONE—WORTH PROTECTING.A REASON TO KEEP MOVING.
EI’LL FIND SOMEWHERE—OR SOMEONE—WORTH PROTECTING.A REASON TO KEEP MOVING.
REVEAL MY WORLD → LABEL>
Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance,Zion
‘
The Matrix
‘
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
‘
- You’d find the Resistance or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
- You function best when you have access to information and freedom to act on it.
- The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be probing its walls for its door.
- You’d be probing its walls for its door.
‘
‘
