Swords, sandals, and sequels: Everything we know about ‘Gladiator 2’
More than 20 years ago, Ridley Scott single-handedly revived the historical epic as a pressing concern when his swords-and-sandals spectacular Gladiator made a killing at the box office on its way to multiple Academy Award wins, including ‘Best Picture’.
Since then, the genre has failed to reach the same heights again, with the director himself even repeatedly failing in that regard. However, if there’s one film that has the potential to recapture the magic of the original Gladiator, then it’s the long-awaited sequel.
Admittedly, there’s some disappointment that a straightforward legacy follow-up was deemed worthier than Nick Cave’s completely bananas time-travelling supernatural fantasy, but the sequel to Gladiator is nonetheless one of the most hotly-anticipated on the release calendar.
A massive production in every sense of the word, Gladiator 2 will be hoping to emulate the success of its predecessor, and given the sum of its parts, there’s no reason to assume it won’t.
So, who is in the cast of Gladiator 2?
Paul Mescal will headline the ensemble as Lucius Verus, stepping in for Spencer Treat Clark, who played the role in the original. The latter is still a working actor who recently reprised another legacy character in M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, but Scott wanted somebody different for Gladiator 2.
Connie Nielsen will be back as Lucius’ mother, Lucilla, though, with Derek Jacobi as the only other returning member of the Gladiator ensemble as Senator Gracchus. The most notable addition by far is Denzel Washington, who’ll play a former slave turned weapons dealer with an axe to grind.
Pedro Pascal is on board as an ex-military commander sentenced to gladiatorial combat for defiance, with Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechninger as co-ruling emperors Caracalla and Geta. Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, May Calamawy, and Tim McInnerny are the other names confirmed so far, although character names and details remain largely under wraps.
Will Russell Crowe or Joaquin Phoenix be reprising their roles from Gladiator?
He may have won an Oscar for his performance, but Russell Crowe died at the end of Gladiator, so there won’t be any resurrections for Maximus in the sequel. In fact, he’d much rather people stopped asking him about it at all because he’s made it clear he’s got nothing to do with the movie.
Joaquin Phoenix also bit the dust by the time the credits rolled, and while he won’t be reprising his role either, the shadow cast by Commodus will linger over the storyline.
What role will Denzel Washington play in the new movie?
Reuniting with his American Gangster director, Denzel Washington will dip his toes into the waters of ancient historical bombast for the first time in Gladiator 2, and while his character’s name hasn’t yet been revealed, some details have.
In an interview with Deadline, Scott described Washington’s role as having parallels with real figures: “There had to be the arms dealers of the period; here is a man who already rich from supplying the weapons, the catapults. His hobby is like a racing stable except it’s gladiators. He’s got a stable of 30 or 40 gladiators.”
The two-time Oscar winner will be a former slave and ex-gladiator who accrued immense wealth for himself, with Scott hinting that the character “already has thoughts and designs of the possible idea of taking power from these two crazy princes.”
Is Gladiator director Ridley Scott involved?
It’s been a lengthy process to bring Gladiator 2 to screens, but throughout the two-decade development process, Ridley Scott has always been involved as the director.
If he wasn’t going to make it, then it probably wouldn’t have happened at all, with the filmmaker revealing the first draft of the script was finished all the way back in September 2003. Suffice to say, that didn’t come to fruition, but the legendary filmmaker has remained on board since day one.
Will the film be a direct sequel to Gladiator?
Although there’s been talk of prequels and spinoffs over the years – not to mention Cave’s bonkers suggestion – Gladiator 2 will be a direct successor to the Oscar-winning original.
Picking up a decade and a half after the first instalment, Mescal’s Lucius will make his presence felt in Rome once again, having vanished off the face of the earth to such a degree even his own mother presumed him dead.
What do we know so far about the Gladiator 2 plot?
Specifics are being kept under lock and key for the time being, but what’s known about the Gladiator 2 plot so far indicates Lucius will seek to reclaim his birthright and discern friend from the enemy after returning from self-imposed exile to claim what’s his.
Lucius was supposed to ascend to power as Caesar, but having witnessed the bravery and sacrifice of Maximus first-hand, he turned his back on destiny to carve out his own legacy. It remains unconfirmed, but it’s expected his arc will involve him fighting through the gladiatorial arena and navigating the treacherous political terrain.
What happened to Lucius in the first Gladiator film?
Raised by his mother following the death of his father, Lucius watches both his uncle Commodus and erstwhile father figure Maximus die in front of his very eyes at the end of Gladiator, leaving he and his mother increasingly alone and isolated in the political sphere.
He’s alive, well, and unharmed by the time the credits roll on Gladiator, but with the sequel being spurred into high gear by his return from the wilderness, his backstory will be fleshed out to reveal how the future emperor ended up turning his back on his pre-ordained status.
Is there a Gladiator 2 trailer?
There’s no official trailer for Gladiator 2 available to watch as of now, but with the promotional footage having recently been screened at CinemaCon for attendees, it won’t be too far off.
With Universal releasing The Fall Guy on May 3rd and Twisters on July 19th, it’s not out of the question the first trailer will be attached to one of those movies to give audiences their first look at the sequel.
When is the movie’s release date?
With filming have been suspended for almost five months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Gladiator 2 ended up running behind schedule, but principal photography managed to wrap in January 2024.
Unless there are any further delays to come, there’s no reason why Scott’s sequel won’t be sticking to its current November 22nd, 2024 bow, which also places it in the thick of the awards season conversation.