The first images and trailer details for Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated sequel, Gladiator II, have been unveiled, featuring Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus and Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius. Set decades after the original film, the sequel follows Lucius, who has grown up in Numidia away from the Roman Empire, only to be forced back into conflict. Mescal has undergone a significant physical transformation for the role, earning praise from co-star Pascal, who nicknamed him ‘Brick Wall Paul’ for his strength. Acclaimed actors such as Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, and Derek Jacobi join the cast, with Nielsen reprising her role as Lucilla. The movie explores themes of legacy and power, reflecting the brutal nature of the Roman Empire. Gladiator II is set to release in theaters on November 22, 2024.
The trailer for Gladiator II is set to be released on July 9, 2024, showcasing action scenes and providing a closer look at the characters in the movie. The character of Lucius Verus, played by Paul Mescal in Gladiator II, had been living a peaceful life away from the Roman Empire in Numidia until the Roman empire disrupted his life, as revealed by Ridley Scott in an exclusive interview.
It’s been 25 years since Gladiator was filmed, going on to storm the Oscars and now the sequel is finally set for release this autumn. Set 15 years after the events of the Russell Crowe original, the new movie follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) all grown up and living “in the wilderness”. Connie Nielsen returns as his mother Lucilla, the older sister of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus. Meanwhile, joining the cast are Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Derek Jacobi, Matt Lucas and more. Set to be one of the most expensive movies ever made, Gladiator 2 has had its title and logo unveiled at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week.
In the picture, a poster shield is attached to statues in Caesars Palace Hotel Casino, Las Vegas. And by the looks of it, Gladiator 2 will simply be called Gladiator II unless there’s a subtitle to be unveiled in the trailer. Notice, as well, the tagline by Crowe’s Maximus from the original film is also featured: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” Paramount Pictures are giving a presentation at CinemaCon on April 11 and according to CinePOP who posted the snap, that’s when the first trailer will be screened before it presumably heads online. Gladiator II hits cinemas on November 22, 2024.
Excitement for Gladiator 2 is in overdrive with the first glimpse of a logo and poster, which confirms the title of the film seven months before it’s released. Director Ridley Scott, fresh from releasing Napoleon, has returned for the follow-up to his Oscar-winning epic, which will focus on Paul Mescal‘s Lucius, the son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original. Mescal, who received an Oscar nomination in 2022 for Aftersun, previously said he will be “profoundly depressed” if the new film makes him even more famous than he already is – but the Irish actor will need to start preparing as the first promotional materials for the forthcoming sequel have landed.
Later this week, Paramount Pictures will be presenting a look at its theatrical slate at CinemaCon – an annual event attended by cinema exhibitors where trailers for high-profile films are debuted. Those in attendance at the event, including CinePOP, quickly spotted the poster for the new Gladiator film, which stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the 2000 original. Nielsen has also returned for the sequel, which also stars Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn. Derek Jacobi will also reprise his role of Senator Gracchus.
Since the project was announced, the film has been unofficially referred to as Gladiator 2, but it was believed there might be a title change before the marketing campaign started. However, the poster has confirmed the title is simply Gladiator II. The official tagline for the film is a quote spoken by Maximus Decimus Meridius in the original film: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
Gladiator, released in 2000, followed Crowe’s Roman general, who ended up in slavery after the murder of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). The film received 12 Oscar nominations, and eventually took home five awards, including Best Picture. Crowe, who won an Academy Award for the film, has debunked the claim he will appear in a flashback scene in the film, and admitted to feeling “jealous” about Mescal’s experience, stating: “I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life. It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living.”
The Gladiator 2 trailer reveals epic battles, including Paul Mescal’s Lucius vs. Pedro Pascal in the Colosseum. The sequel pays homage to the original film with iconic quotes and scenes recreated. The story revolves around Lucius seeking revenge against the emperors. The trailer reveals the first look at Ridley Scott’s sequel to his Best Picture-winning film from 2000. Directed once again by Scott, with a script written by David Scarpa, the historical epic will center on Paul Mescal as an adult Lucius, the son of Lucilla, who was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark. Other than Mescal in the lead role, the Gladiator 2 cast also includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn as Caracalla, Fred Hechinger as Geta, with Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprising their roles from the first film.
At CinemaCon 2024, with SR in attendance, Paramount premiered the first trailer for Gladiator 2 ahead of its release date. It begins with Pascal being crowned by Caracalla, while Lucius is recruited by Washington. Pascal leads a group of soldiers in battle, while Lucius leads a group of gladiators against a rhino in the arena. There is a lot of naval combat, with Pascal leading the Roman army, and trebuchets. Pascal is forced to fight in the arena, and Mescal eventually enters the arena and fights Pascal in the Colosseum. The trailer ends with impressive sword combat between the two.
Though not available to the public quite yet, there is a lot to be gleaned from the Gladiator 2 trailer screened at CinemaCon. The footage begins by focusing on Washington’s character, who says, “I remember that day. I never forgot it; that a slave could take revenge against an emperor; that a slave could get justice in the arena.” Here, he seems to be referring to Russell Crowe’s Maximus, a Roman general forced into slavery who seeks revenge against Emperor Commodus for killing his family.
As a former slave with a grudge against the current co-emperors, Caracalla and Geta, Washington’s character likely relates to Maximus. The sequel’s story seems to start with Washington’s character recruiting Lucius, who has renounced his noble privileges and has been living in the wild for the past 15 years, to fight in the Colosseum and exact revenge against the emperors. As a child, Lucius idolized Maximus, so it makes sense he is sympathetic to the cause and willing to fight. The footage shows Lucius facing off against a charging rhino and a horde of vicious baboons in the Colosseum.
Meanwhile, the footage also shows Pedro Pascal’s character, who seems to be a general or a commander, leading the Roman army to victory and being crowned by Caracalla. It’s unclear how, but the sequel seems to culminate in Lucius and Pascal’s character facing off in the Colosseum. The co-Emperor Caracalla also appears to an antagonist reminiscent of Commodus who, at one point, imitates his thumbs-up gesture, which in Ancient Rome, was equivalent to today’s middle finger.
Source: CinePOP, Deadline
