In what will most likely become a game of cinematic musical chairs, Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator II has moved up its release date from November 22 to November 15. The sequel brings in Paul Mescal as the new lead, playing the adult version of Lucius, the young nephew of Commodus (portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the original film).
Mescal, who rose to fame following his role in Normal People, has acknowledged that stepping into the role and taking on the Gladiator legacy is a daunting challenge. “I feel really excited, but, like, it’s difficult to get away from the legacy of the film a bit,” Mescal told Esquire. “I think it’s really well written and it pays homage to the first one, but it’s very much something that I think I can step into and make comfortably my own.”
Outside of Mescal, the cast for Gladiator 2 also includes Denzel Washington, who joined the cast as a former slave, since turned into a wealthy merchant. Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles as Lucilla and Senator Gracchus, respectively. Additionally, Joseph Quinn will play Emperor Caracalla, and Pedro Pascal plays a former military commander who, following an incident where he disobeys direct orders, is forced to fight as a gladiator, alongside Moon Knight‘s May Calamawy, who has also signed on.
What Was ‘Gladiator’ About?
Gladiator was released in 2000 and soon saw itself become both a critical and commercial success. The film earned significant box office revenue, grossing over $460 million worldwide, while it was also highly acclaimed on the awards circuit, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe, out of a total of twelve nominations, and the sequel has been eagerly awaited, with Scott and his new cast hard at work since last year on bringing the film to life. Crowe, for his part, isn’t overly thrilled with the film being made, as he said last week.
“I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done,” Crowe admitted. “A couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like, ‘No, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character’. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six feet under. So we’ll see what that is like.”
Gladiator II will arrive in theaters on November 15.
via Collider