Gladiator 2 footage shows a ferocious Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott’s sequel
Russell Crowe in “Gladiator.”
DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
Gladiator 2 The Colosseum was swarmed at Caesars Palace, as theater owners were given their first look at footage from Ridley Scott’s epic.
Scott sent a video from London introducing the piece. “It’s probably even more extraordinary than the first one,” Scott said of the upcoming film, a sequel to a 2000s film. Gladiator. Star Paul Mescal described working on it as a “highlight moment” in his life so far. Denzel Washington said the film will have more “emotion” and “spectacle” than anything else in theaters this year.
In the footage, it’s revealed that Mescal is a wrestler (apparently not playing Emperor Commodus’ new son Joaquin Phoenix, as reported). His character is shown fighting killer apes, as well as a soldier on a rhinoceros. At one point, the Colosseum fills with water in preparation for an epic ship battle.
the first Gladiator Russell Crowe won the Oscar for Best Actor and told the story of a Roman general sold into slavery and forced to fight as a gladiator, all while turning his growing popularity among the people against the murderous Commodus.
The character of Mescal appears to be inspired by Crow Maximus. “I remember that day. I never forgot it. That a slave could get revenge on the emperor. A slave could get justice in the arena,” he says at one point in the trailer, referring to the climax of the first film.
The project delves into anti-war politics, with Pedro Pascal playing a military figure who no longer wants to throw the youth of Rome into war. As a result, he was also sentenced to fight as a gladiator. Meanwhile, Washington appears to be leading Mescal to inspire revolution.
Washington’s character says: “The only truth in Rome is the law of the strongest.”
Access to CinemaCon, Gladiator 2 It was among the most anticipated films, given its pedigree as a sequel to Scott’s 2000 Best Picture winner, and given reports of a big budget that would suggest a lot of on-screen action for the November 22 release.
Gladiator 2 This is a risky proposition for Paramount and Scott, who takes big swings with his films that sometimes generate hits and cult classics, and sometimes don’t. The Apple 2023 saga Napoleon It grossed $221 million worldwide, a worrying number for a legacy studio, though the tech giant wasn’t counting on it as a play. For its part, Paramount holds Scott in high esteem and has hired him to direct an upcoming Bee Gees biopic.
In his video remarks while showing the footage, Scott noted that more than 20 years have passed since the first film hit theaters. “It’s worth the wait,” said the legendary director.
