Gladiator II is set to hit theaters, featuring Paul Mescal as a vengeful gladiator battling in the ancient Colosseum. The highly-anticipated trailer for Ridley Scott’s sequel was released on Monday.
Mescal portrays a mature Lucius Verus II, the nephew of Emperor Commodus, who was famously played by Joaquin Phoenix in the original film. After enduring the hardships of slavery, Lucius returns to Rome, not as a ruler but as a gladiator seeking revenge and power more than twenty years after the events of the first Gladiator.
In a pivotal moment from the trailer, Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer played by Denzel Washington, encourages Lucius, saying, “You have something in you, rage. Never let it go,” as he introduces him to his stable of gladiators for the upcoming battles.
Lucius is determined to ascend the ranks of gladiatorial fighters, fueled by ambitions of vengeance. He tells Macrinus, “Rome has taken everything from me. But I will have my vengeance,” expressing his intent to take down Roman General Marcus Acacius, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, who previously enslaved him.
“I don’t fight for power. I fight to free Rome from men like them,” Lucius asserts, as Macrinus, Acacius, and others who maintain a tyrannical grip on Rome observe from an elaborate Coliseum set constructed in Malta.
Scheduled for a major release by Paramount Pictures on Thanksgiving, Gladiator II also hints at director Scott’s plans for a potential Gladiator 3 in the future.
The first trailer gained an impressive 215 million global views across various platforms within days of its launch.
Gladiator II is set to premiere on November 22, two decades after the original Gladiator, which earned five Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Russell Crowe. The new film also stars Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen.