See The Amazing New Coliseum Being Built For Gladiator 2
Set photos reveal the new coliseum being erected for Gladiator 2 in Morocco.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 is gradually building hype, and plenty of people are ready to return to the world of sword-and-sandals he started with the Russell Crowe original. While we obviously won’t be seeing Maximus Decimus Meridius return to entertain us, we will be seeing more gladiator action in the Roman Coliseum. It definitely seems like the big-budget film is aiming for realism, as there were recently some photos released of the stadium being built in Morocco:
The original film was nominated for Best Art Direction and Set Decoration, and it seems like Gladiator 2 will live up to those lofty standards in that area. Reports say that production designer Arthur Max is returning, so maybe he’ll nab the Oscar this time. Reports also say that Janty Yates, who won Best Costume, is returning along with John Mathieson, who was nominated for Best Cinematography.
Of course, you can’t have Gladiator 2 without Ridley Scott, who is once again returning to direct with a script by David Scarpa. The original film nabbed the coveted Best Picture award, and Scott was nominated for Best Director. If the sequel is able to recapture the magic of the original, we could be looking at another big Oscar sweep for Scott in the future.
The newest additions to Gladiator 2 are the cast members, which includes Paul Mescal in the lead role. Mescal will be playing the role of Lucius, who is the son of Connie Nielson’s Lucilla and nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s villainous Commodus. Other rumored additions to the cast include Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington.
Barry Keoghan is rumored to be playing Emperor Geta in Gladiator 2, who is a real Roman Emperor who held ruled the Roman empire from 198 to 211. Washington’s character is currently being kept under wraps. It seems likely that one of these two stars will be the antagonist to Mescal’s Lucius.
In the original film, the child version of Lucius was played by Spencer Treat Clark. Lucius admired Maximus’ heroism and decided that he didn’t have the same hunger for power as his Uncle. We’ll likely be seeing Lucius deciding to follow in the footsteps of Maximus in Gladiator 2.
It remains to be seen if any of the surviving characters from the original return in Gladiator 2. It seems likely that Connie Nielsen could return as Lucius’ mother Lucilla. Djimon Hounsou’s Juba would also be another good character to bring back.
With the extravagant set design, the return of Ridley Scott in the director’s chair, and the all-star cast, it definitely seems like Gladiator 2 will be attempting to recreate the commercial and critical success of the original. This is a high bar to jump over, but it’s certainly possible with the team they’ve assembled. Winning five Oscars and grossing over $460 million worldwide is a tall order but certainly not impossible.
Gladiator 2 is set to come out on November 22, 2024. Filming is set to begin soon. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about the cast and plot of this film.
