Buff and bloody men, Rome at war, and unfair stakes: Gladiator 2's first trailer has it all
There's even a rhino!
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The first trailer for Gladiator 2 is finally here, after more than two decades since the original historical drama was released.
You wouldn't think a film like Gladiator would ever receive a sequel, but if I've come to understand anything about this decade, it's that we're in the era of IP. You've got a pre-established brand with big names attached to it? Yeah, sure, you can have just a whole bunch of money! And here we are, 24 years after the original Gladiator, with a sequel, director Ridley Scott at the helm once more. The film has been a long time coming, having been announced in 2018, and today after all that time the first trailer for Gladiator 2 has been released, showing off Paul Mescal (Normal People) in all his buff, bloody, sweaty glory.
Gladiator 2 picks things up decades after the original film, with Mescal playing Lucius, a character that was actually in the original film - he's the son of Lucilla, and the nephew of Emperor Commodus, who was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix back in the day (Lucius was played by Spencer Treat Clark at the time, with Mescal taking over the role). After spending some time in the northern African region of Numidia, Lucius finds himself back in Rome as a gladiator (like the name of the film!) where, as the trailer above will show you, he eventually faces off against the film industry's daddy, Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian).
The rest of the cast is pretty stacked too, including Denzel Washington (Malcolm X), Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Connie Nielsen (One Hour Photo), who is reprising her role as Lucilla from the first film. You've still got a few months to go if you want to check it out though, as it's not due out until November 22, only in cinemas.