Do you hear that sound? It's the colosseum calling, folks! As the release of Ridley Scott's long-awaited sequel to Gladiator gets ever closer, we're starting to see more and more of what the legendary filmmaker's Gladiator II has in store for us. And if the latest trailer for the movie — whose all-star ensemble includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn to name but a few — is anything to go by, then we're in for another swords and sandals epic for the ages. If rhinos, monkeys, heavy armour, and even heavier family ties are your cup of posca, then check out the new look at the movie below:
It's no wonder Scott is touting this one as "one of the best" movies he's made — this feels like a Gladiator movie through and through. From the eye-popping gladiatorial combat, to the impeccable costuming, to its winkingly familiar story — of Mescal's raging Lucius, husband to a murdered wife, who says himself he'll "have [his] vengeance" as he embarks on a slave-to-gladiator journey to confront the powers that be in Imperial Rome — the thread that runs between Scott's 2000 classic and this follow-up is potent. Even more so now that, thanks to Connie Nielsen's Lucilla, we finally have confirmation that Russell Crowe's Maximus is in fact Lucius' father, proving a long-held fan theory correct and supercharging the emotional potential of this new film as a tale of legacy and of fathers and sons.
Here's the official synopsis for the film: "Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.”
With Sir Ridders already 'toying with ideas' for a Gladiator 3, the prospect of Paul Mescal going toe-to-toe with Pedro Pascal's General Acacius in the arena, and SHIPS IN THE COLOSSEUM (!!) all ahead of us, Gladiator is, much as it ever was, very much our Roman Empire, and we'll be thinking about it every day until that 22 November release finally comes along.