A bloody, sweaty Paul Mescal goes to war, as Lucius, in order to save Rome in the new trailer for Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2.
Son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Commodus, the original film's antagonist played by Joaquin Phoenix, Mescal's muscular Lucius is out for blood in the long-awaited follow up to the Oscars-gobbling 200 mega flick.
Set years after Gladiator 1.0 (also directed by Scott), the sequel sees Lucius living as a young adult in the northern African region of Numidia, where his mother sent him as a child. As ever, a series of (possibly convenient) events bring Lucius back to Rome as a gladiator, making new enemies and reuniting with his mother.
In what is a very badly kept secret the new footage reveals that Lucius is the son of one Maximus Decimus Meridius (you know the rest), the protagonist of the first film, so memorably portrayed by a buff AF Russell Crowe. Lucilla tells Lucius the truth about his paternity as he prepares for battle, saying: “Take your father’s strength. His name was Maximus. And I see him in you.”
The supporting cast, if you can call it that, features Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who trained under the command of Maximus; Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a wealthy powerbroker in Rome who keeps a stable of gladiators for sport; and Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger as the twin emperors of Rome.
Scott has recently gone on record to state that the film will feature the “biggest action sequence” he has ever produced, saying it was bigger than anything seen in the Phoenix-starring “Napoleon.”
That is some lofty claim give the acclaimed director has already delivered some of cinema’s most astonishing set pieces - but, hench baboons and a shark-infested Colosseum anyone?
Gladiator II is set for worldwide release on the 22 November 2024, distributed by Paramount Pictures.
