It’s time to step into the Colosseum with the new featurette of Gladiator II. Paramount Pictures has released this brand-new look with director Ridley Scott and his stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. The featurette shows just how grand a production this was and Scott was already coming off of another historical epic, Napoleon. As Washington puts it, “This is the biggest film I’ve been on. It’s huge! Cecil B. DeMille on steroids!”
Here is the plot of Gladiator II, as per Paramount: “From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.”
The cast includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. The screenplay was penned by David Scarpa.
While Ridley Scott and the studio are hyping this film up as the biggest movie either have ever been involved with, many skeptics who are fans of the original still view it as unnecessary as the story had a fitting end with Maximus’ story coming to a close. However, Scott is already intent on turning his saga into a trilogy. As he put it, “I’m already playing with the idea of Gladiator 3. No, seriously. The end of Gladiator II evokes that of the Godfather, with Michael Corleone who ends up with a job he didn’t want, and who wonders, ‘And now, Father, what am I doing? ‘The next film will therefore speak of a man who does not want to be where he is.”
Gladiator II is rated R for “strong bloody violence” and is set to hit theaters on November 22, the same day as Wicked.