Paramount pictures’ YouTube channel has just released the trailer for Gladiator 2, the long-awaited and somewhat puzzling sequel for the ’00 Best Picture Academy Award winner starring Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott.
Gladiator 2 stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington, and looks to be set after the events of the first film, with some references for fans of the original.
The first thing to catch my eye in the trailer is the beautiful balance struck between the gritty reality of the arenas and the decadent ostentation of the ruling class. Much like the original film, Gladiator 2 seems to have put a lot of effort and money into building huge sets to make it all feel as real as possible instead of just going with a huge CGI arena. That’s all great, but one question remains: what is this movie even going to be about?
What’s the plot of Gladiator 2?
As you likely know by now, and without venturing into spoiler territory, the original Gladiator tells the beginning middle and end of a story, not leaving much room for a direct sequel. So, Gladiator 2 will take place a few decades after the original and follow Lucius, the now-grown son of the Emperor’s sister who was Maximus’ fan in the first film.
As revealed in a Vanity Fair piece, we know that Paul Mescal’s Lucius departed Rome shortly after the events of the first film. He was living a calm life away from the troubles and venom of Roman nobility until he got captured by Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, a new Roman general who used to serve under Maximus and who’s unaware that he’s capturing his wife’s son. After his capture, Lucius will naturally end up fending for himself in wilder-than-ever gladiatorial arenas, and Denzel Washington will likely play a role similar to that of Oliver Reed’s Proximo, Maximus’ owner/manager in the first movie.
Though the main conflict seems to revolve around the first two, they will also have to deal with Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, who’ll be playing a duo of new evil Emperor siblings that the trailer effortlessly sells as detestable, like Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from the original. Everyone will be joined by Connie Nielsen reprising her role as Lucilla, the mother of Lucius.
Gladiator 2 is set to release on November 22. You can watch the original on Prime Video.
Published: Jul 9, 2024 12:20 pm