Ridley Scot will direct a sequel of Gladiator starring Paul Mescal, who could be joined by two Oscar nominees who are already causing a buzz among audiences. It is already a fact: the story of Gladiator will return to the big screen but with a sequel, which will have the director of the first installment, Ridley Scott, as the filmmaker responsible for the story.
However, what is still being discussed is the main cast of the feature film, which could have two Oscar nominees and an Oscar winner among its ranks, a fact that is already causing a lot of excitement among the public and in Hollywood itself.
Oscar Nominees to Star in the Return of Gladiator
The first big name among the negotiations is Denzel Washington, who could co-star in the film alongside Oscar nominee Paul Mescal, announced a few months ago as the headliner for the installment, according to Deadline. Washington’s role in the film is unknown at this time, as he may be an ally of Mescal’s character or a villain in the film, which will be produced for Paramount.
However, we know that the actor’s pairing with Scott is guaranteed to be successful, as the two worked together almost 16 years ago in the film American Gangster, which earned Washington the Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. It is known that Scott himself sought out Washington to offer him the role in the project a few weeks ago and that the star of The Vigilante was impressed with the script and the character he would play, which led to the start of negotiations.
The second name being considered to join the cast is Barry Keoghan, who obtained his Oscar nomination this year for his work in The Banshees of Inisherin and achieved strong acceptance among the public in 2021 for his participation in Marvel’s Eternals. Keoghan could join the cast in the role of the main antagonist of the story, which, according to international media such as Cinemania, could be inspired by Emperor Geta, although it is not known to what extent since it has been said that this film will deviate quite a bit from the history of the Roman Empire.
What Is Known So Far About the Gladiator Sequel
Although Mescal’s participation is already a fact, it is not yet known for sure which character he will play. Some say he will play an adult version of Lucius, son of Lucila (played by Connie Nielsen in the original film), in a story that takes place many years after the end of its predecessor. As the story goes, Lucius was the nephew of Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who in turn was the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who assassinated his father to seize the throne.
Commodus ended up fighting against Maximus, the character that launched Russell Crowe’s career and won him the Oscar for Best Actor in 2000, in the gladiatorial arena, where he ended up losing to this hero, who at the end of the story managed to reunite with his murdered wife and son in the afterlife, but not before having saved Lucila and his son while seeking to avenge his family.
It is known that this new project will also have Scott as producer along with Michael Pruss, president of Scott Free, and Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher through Red Wagon Entertainment. The script was written by David Scarpa, and Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will executive produce. And returning to the team will be costume designer Janty Yates, who was in charge of the costumes for the first installment, as well as Arthur Max, as production designer.
Gladiator was a co-production between Universal Pictures and DreamWorks, which grossed more than $460 million at the worldwide box office and five Academy Awards out of 12 nominations, including Best Picture. Although DreamWorks will not be involved as a co-producer on the next installment, it is expected that Universal will partner as a producer once the project is completed.
Story written in Spanish by Alex Vizzuet in Cultura Colectiva
