The first look images of Ridley Scott‘s ‘Gladiator 2‘ have been exclusively revealed by Vanity Fair. The upcoming big-budget film, a sequel to 2000’s ‘Gladiator,’ features huge stars in the main roles: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal. You can see the images below.
The Scott directing film is written by David Scarpa. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus, with Denzel Washington portraying a former slave-turned-wealthy arms dealer. Other cast members include Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, and Tim McInnerny.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Scott said, “As Gladiator II begins, Mescal’s Lucius has a wife and child and lives a relatively peaceful life with them until conquerors from his homeland begin to encroach. He’s taken root in a seacoast town in Numidia. He’s a blue-eyed, fair-skinned man with red hair, and he couldn’t be more different from the inhabitants. It’s one of the last surviving civilizations, as the Romans begin to descend into North Africa and take it all over.”
In ‘Gladiator 2′, set 20 years later, Lucius, son of Lucilla (Nielsen), carries on Maximus’ legacy. Inspired by Maximus’ sacrifice, Lucius forsakes his birthright as Caesar and fights in the arena as his political past resurfaces.
The first trailer for ‘Gladiator 2’ is set to drop on July 9, 2024.
The film is produced by Scott, Michael Pruss, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, and David Franzoni, with production companies including Scott Free Productions and Red Wagon Entertainment.
‘Gladiator 2’ will hit theaters on November 22, 2024, by Paramount Pictures in the United States and Universal Pictures internationally.
