Gladiator 2 Just Became Our Most Anticipated Movie Of The Year
Lucky attendees at Paramount Pictures’ CinemaCon presentation got to witness a special trailer for Gladiator 2 and the description makes it sound like it’ll be one of the best movies of the year. The trailer was presented at The Colosseum Stage at Caesars Palace no less, and attendees saw gladiator battles with animals, glimpses of the main characters, and much more. To say that the trailer was epic would be something of an understatement.
Fans Can’t Wait To See The Trailer
According to a report from Variety, the Gladiator 2 trailer kicks off with Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus as he faces off against baboons and a rhino. If that wasn’t enough, Pedro Pascal’s character also refuses to send more of his Roman soldiers to war, leading to him being sentenced to face off against Lucius in the Colosseum himself. We also get to see Denzel Washington’s character, who has some political machinations of his own, saying, “Rome must fall, I need only to give it a push.”
Insane New Emperors
In addition, the Gladiator 2 trailer also gives us some glimpses of naval action, Connie Nielsen’s returning character Lucilla from the original film, and the pair of insane co-emperors played by Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn. The crowd at the Colosseum Theater went wild after the footage, so it seems like people were impressed from the first look. This sequel may actually be a worthy follow-up to the beloved Best Picture-winning original.
Gladiator Was A Massive Success
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator was released in 2000 and was met with huge box office returns, critical acclaim, and five Oscar wins for Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Costume Design. The film follows Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is forced to enter the gladiator arena after the death of his family. For the sequel, Crowe won’t be returning, but Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi will both reprise their roles.
Ridley Scott also returns to direct Gladiator 2, with David Scarpa taking over the screenplay writing role from David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. The movie will star Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi. Hopefully, this trailer debut at CinemaCon means the rest of us will be able to see a trailer online sooner rather than later.
Decades In The Making
Gladiator 2 has gone through many iterations since the release of the original, including an out-there version where the Roman Gods resurrected Russell Crowe’s character to battle Jesus Christ and stop the spread of Christianity in Rome. The plot would have then followed Crowe’s immortal Maximus as he lived through the Crusades, Vietnam, and eventually the modern day. While interesting, it seems like the version we’re getting will be a little bit more prestigious of a film.
We don’t have to wait too much longer to see Gladiator 2. The film is set to hit theaters on November 22, 2024. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated on the inevitable upcoming trailer, along with any more news about the highly-anticipated film.
Source: Variety
