Movie theater The sequel is also directed by Ridley Scott. The first film, which premiered in 2000, was nominated for 11 Oscars and won five.
Paul Mescal plays Lucius.
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Marta Garcia
24 years after the premiere of the first film, the long-awaited first images of “Gladiator 2”. The trailer was released this Tuesday, July 7th. The sequel to “Gladiator”, also directed by Ridley Scott, hits national cinemas on November 21st. The production has a luxury cast, including the trio of protagonists Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington.
“Years after witnessing the death of his father, the revered hero Maximus, at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now firmly rule Rome. With a sense of rebellion and the future of the Empire at stake, the gladiator must look to his past as a way to find strength and restore the honor and glory of Rome to its people,” the synopsis reads.
The Paramount Universe project is a follow-up to the 2000 film, which followed Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a former general forced to become a gladiator under the rule of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the self-appointed Emperor of Rome. This time, the protagonist (Lucius) is played by Paul Mescal. The 29-year-old Irish actor made his debut on the series “Normal People,” for which he won a BAFTA Award and received an Emmy nomination. He also played Ed Munson in the fourth season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
The cast also includes Pedro Pascal (Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who trained under Maximus), Denzel Washington (Macrinus, a man linked to the power of Rome and owner of gladiators), Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger (Caracala and Geta, the twin emperors of Rome). Also returning from the previous film are Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) and Djimon Hounsou (Juba).
The first “Gladiator”, directed by Ridley Scott, was a co-production with Universal. It grossed 425 million euros at the box office and was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning five statuettes, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe, in 2001.
