MOVIE NEWS – Ridley Scott has always said he’d return to the Colosseum to continue the story of his blockbuster epic Gladiator with Gladiator 2, and it looks like we’re close to getting our wish.

23 years ago, Gladiator set a pattern, virtually reviving the historical costume adventure films that were so popular in classic Hollywood. Many were surprised to learn that this well-rounded, self-contained story was something even director Ridley Scott wanted to continue and will continue after the Napoleon film is made and premiered. The protagonist will be Lucius, living in the shadow of Commodus, whose adult version will be played by Paul Mescal (Normal People), if all goes well.

Based on reliable sources, Deadline has reported that Paramount Pictures, the company behind Gladiator 2, and Scott are in talks with actor Paul Mescal to play the lead role. Ridley Scott is directing the film, with David Scarpa (The Man in the Citadel) writing the script. The final version of the script was reportedly completed in November 2022, when meetings began, and Mescal was the first actor the director sat down to talk to. Although the director interviewed several candidates, Deadline’s sources say that Paul Mescal’s meeting was the most successful and that he and Scott got on very well, making him the director’s first choice.

Born in 1996, Paul Mescal is an Irish actor who mainly starred in plays in the latter half of the 2010s, with the 2020 miniseries Normal People bringing him success, an Emmy nomination, and a BAFTA award. In addition to the series, he was also seen in The Lost Girl (2021) and Once Upon a Summer (2022). If the deal between him and Paramount is finalized, Gladiator 2 could be the big breakthrough for Paul Mescal on the film front.

Lucius Verus, the young son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), daughter of the murdered Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), was portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator. The plot of the second part will take place 25-30 years after the events of the first part, so Lucius will no longer be a small child but a middle-aged adult man.

Source: Deadline