The highly anticipated Gladiator sequel has been long awaited, and the world is finally getting a peak at the newest epic showdown. Written by renowned screenwriters David Scarpa and Peter Craig and directed by Sir Ridley Scott, the historical drama film returns to the Colosseum 24 years after the award-winning original movie. The sequel is expected to be a box office phenomenon with a star-studded cast of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington.
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Irish actor Paul Mescal takes on the role of the grown-up Lucius that Spencer Treat Clark portrayed in the 2000 movie as a child. The character was the the son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen and nephew to the first film’s villain, Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix who was shipped off to Africa to escape from the gruelling life in Rome. The new storyline picks up years later, answering the questions of what happened after Russell Crowe’s Maximus character dies at the hands of Commodus in their final duel.
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Pedro Pascal plays the character of General Marcus Acacias, who once served under Crowe’s character General Maximus, alongside the powerful and devious Macrinus, who is portrayed by Denzel Washington. The duo forces Lucius into slavery. Paul Mescal steps into Crowe’s gladiator sandals, inspired by Maximus’ bravery and gearing up for his return as a gladiator to challenge the rule of Emperors Caracalla and Greta, played by Connie Neilsen and Fred Hechinger.
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The action-packed trailer appeared just as epic as the original, showing dramatic displays of swords, horses and blood-stained fighters, Lucius’ gruelling journey from prisoner to gladiator. The three-minute trailer ends with a riveting cliffhanger with Mescal and Pascal battling in the arena, with the gladiator holding two swords crossed over the army general’s neck.
The sequel is set to hit the theatres on 22 November later this year, sharing the same premier date as the eagerly anticipated Wicked movie starring major stars like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum among others. The timely release of the two movies is predicted to stimulate another “Barbenheimer” marketing drive, a trend previously created by social media users that was successful in stirring up significant publicity for both movies.
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