The trailer for Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated sequel “Gladiator II” dropped on Tuesday, setting the stage for the return to Ancient Rome.
Written by David Scarpa, the first look showcases the world 20-plus years after the events of the Russell Crowe-led 2000 historical epic.
Paul Mescal now steps into the role of Lucius, which Spencer Treat Clark portrayed in the original movie. Lucius is the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Commodus, who was originally played by Joaquin Phoenix.
The plot follows Lucius, who witnessed the death of Maximus (Crowe) as a child at the hands of his uncle.
He was then sent by his mother as a child to live on the northern coast of Africa to shield him from the corruption and violence of Rome.
As an adult, he gets thrown back into Roman life and into captivity after his home is conquered by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and his forces who lead Rome with an iron fist.
Lucius is then forced into the Colosseum to battle, where he must fight for the future of the Roman people.
The trailer also introduces Denzel Washington as Macrinus, who is a wealthy arms dealer entangled in the spectacle of gladiators and the film’s two main antagonists: twin emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).
Derek Jacobi is reprising his role as Gracchus, while May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah and Matt Lucas round out the star-studded cast.
Scott, 86, returns to direct the follow-up to his award-winning “Gladiator,” and he brings along a seasoned team, such as cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max and costume designer Janty Yates.
The original won five Oscars and grossed $465.4 million worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of that year.
Mescal, 28, reflected on the project during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in July.
“It’s an immense honor — it’s not lost on me,” he said at the time. “That film is hugely important to a lot of people across the world. And for the great Ridley Scott to kind of pass the baton on to me is something that, like, my drama school self or even the version of myself that was 15 watching the film for the first time, could never have imagined.”
The “Normal People” actor said he took on the role as Lucius with a “great deal of pride.”
“There was a lot of work that went into it,” he went on of his transformation. “Lots of lifting heavy things… lots of squatting, pushing, pulling. We didn’t kind of change the wheel with it, it was all kind of pretty standard in that regard, but I was keen for it not to look false or kind of overly aesthetic in any way.”
Pascal, 49, meanwhile, called his co-star “Brick Wall Paul.”
“It’s brutal, man,” he told Vanity Fair that same month. “He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger…. Outside of Ridley being a total genius, Paul is a big reason as to why I would put my poor body through that experience.”
Mescal said the entire experience overall was a “pivotal” moment for him.
“I think for a lot of us, especially the younger cohort of the cast, we would easily say that it’s a job that changed our lives,” he marveled.
“We’re kind of waiting with bated breath, but the thing that I keep coming back to is, we’ve done it. We’ve gone and made it and nobody can take that away from us. And we had the king that is Ridley Scott at the helm — it’s amazing.”
The “All of Us Strangers” star said the “Roman” nose he hated all his life is also what helped him get the role.
“My nose just is kind of Roman,” Mescal told Vanity Fair. “So it’s useful in this context. The nose that I absolutely hated when I was in secondary school — and used to get ribbed for — became very, very useful when Ridley needed somebody to be in Gladiator II.”
“I remember watching it with my dad and being absolutely blown away by it,” he told ET of his admiration for the original film.
“It’s been in the cultural zeitgeist for 20 years, and there’s not a lot of films that have done that especially in this genre,” he added. “So there’s a healthy amount of pressure but also a healthy amount of confidence from the people that made the film. We are excited to kind of add the next installment to a film that has been and will continue to be incredibly popular.”
“Gladiator II” hits theaters on November 22.
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