MOVIE NEWS – In the first picture of Gladiator 2, we can meet the characters of Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal…

After years of waiting, we finally got a look at Gladiator 2! Thanks to Vanity Fair, a whole series of new photos has been published – see the link at the end of the article – in which we can officially see Oscar nominee Paul Mescal in the leading role of Lucius Verus for the first time. In one of the pictures, he is currently fighting The Last of Us and Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal, who we already know will play Marcus Acacius. In addition to the first look, we also learned more details about the sequel’s direction.

Gladiator 2 will continue decades after the first film starring Russell Crowe, and Lucius “comes of age far away from his mother”, according to Vanity Fair’s report.

“While he was still a child, Lucilla sent him to the northern coast of Africa, to a region called Numidia that was (at that point) just outside the reach of the Roman Empire. He never fully understood why, and as he grew stronger, so did his resentment – even if his mother’s reasons had been pure.”

Gladiator 2 hits theaters in November

Mescal’s Lucius begins the film similarly to Crowe’s Maximus. He lives with his wife and child before his peaceful life is disrupted by invaders from his homeland. Their leader will be Pedro Pascal, who will play Marcus Acacius. We now know that he is a Roman general trained by none other than Maximus himself. The elder Lucius also apparently took some lessons from his gladiator mentor.

After all, the new pictures show Mescal rubbing his hands with sand before a fight, just like Maximus did, as well as tearing off the chains of oppression and killing anyone who gets in his way.

In addition to the protagonist, Paul Mescal, Gladiator 2 has a great cast. The sequel also stars Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi. Moreover, Hollywood icon Denzel Washington appears in the role of a former slave-turned-wealthy arms dealer.

Ridley Scott also revealed more details about the sequel, the historical roots, and how Mescal, as Lucius, is soon forced to fight for freedom.

Paramount reportedly showed exclusive footage from Gladiator 2 at a European trade show, which also gave a taste of the film’s plot. The first public preview is expected next Tuesday (July 9).

Gladiator 2 is scheduled to hit theaters in the United States on November 22, 2024.

Source: Vanity Fair