Joseph Quinn Makes Us Impatient For Gladiator 2 After Interview

In his recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Joseph Quinn shared that his time on the set of Gladiator 2 and his experience working with the legendary director Ridley Scott has been a life-affirming experience, well beyond anything the actor could have imagined.

This, of course, is to be expected when working with not just one of the industry greats but also with other legendary Hollywood names, such as Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal of The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, and Paul Mescal of the Normal People miniseries.

Joseph Quinn said of his famous co-stars, “We had an amazing time. I made some fantastic friends on it. Working with Denzel Washington, that doesn’t ever happen, so I learned a lot from him and watching him work and trying to keep up with him.”

And on working with Ridley Scott, “It was kind of the maddest experience of my life in a way. Don’t think it’s going to get madder than that. But an extraordinary thing just in terms of the fact that Ridley he builds worlds, doesn’t he? So he built ancient Rome. So to bear witness to all of that, let alone participate in the making of it, was a privilege.”

Unfortunately, the actor hasn’t shared any details. From what we know so far, Joseph Quinn’s Gladiator 2 role is that of Emperor Geta (at least according to IMDb), a historical figure who actually ruled Rome with his brother Caracalla and their father, Septimus Severus.

The actor is often compared to Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Commodus in the first film, but Ridley Scott strongly encouraged Quinn to develop his own character in his own way rather than channel Phoenix’s performance.

Not only that but actress Connie Nielsen is also credited with playing a helping hand in not only Joseph Quinn’s Gladiator 2 performance but also the rest of the cast, particularly when it comes to shedding the anxiety about the legacy of the original Gladiator.

The upcoming film’s story follows Lucius Verus (portrayed by Paul Mescal), the grandson of the former emperor Marcus Aurelius, and his rise from enslavement through gladiatorial combat inspired by the story of Maximus.

Apart from Joseph Quinn, Gladiator 2 also features Denzel Washington as a former slave who gained massive wealth and influence as a merchant and a sponsor of gladiators—who just happens to hold a grudge against the aforementioned emperors.

Pedro Pascal portrays a former Roman general forced into gladiatorial combat as a means of punishment for insubordination. These two characters are likely to be allies to the film’s protagonist, but considering the lack of details, this is a mere speculation on our part—please take it with a grain of salt.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, Joseph Quinn’s Gladiator 2 movie has been in development since 2001, beginning its life as either a prequel or a sequel to the original movie, with the basic premise already in place.

Russell Crowe was supposed to make an appearance as a resurrected Maximus, but Ridley Scott believed that a more grounded, historical approach was a better option. Other options included Maximus being revived as an immortal god for the Roman gods sent to fight throughout the centuries of warfare. Fortunately, that script was scrapped.

Source: Happy Sad Confused