‘Gladiator 2’ – Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Barry Keoghan, & More Join Cast
Ridley Scott is taking audiences back to the Colosseum in Gladiator 2 – with a cast that doesn’t include Russel Crowe.
Gladiator is one of those movies that just works – the plot is solid, the cast is stacked, and the production is filled with top-notch talent from costumes to special effects. It brings back the feeling of grand movies of the 1950s – we didn’t think we’d get another Ben-Hur, but we did. It’s an excellent movie, an instant classic. The movie’s success kicked off an era of Roman stories – from HBO’s Rome to Starz’s Spartucus – and historical epics like Alexander, 300, and Troy.
I’m not sure if we really need a sequel as the original has a great ending, but we are. It’s going to be hard to recapture what made the 2000 juggernaut so good. The main star is attached – Ridley Scott is directing Gladiator 2. Back in 2021, he ordered a script to be ready by the time he finishes with Napoleon. They’re done filming (it premieres in theaters this November), so that deadline is coming up. The man is 85. He can’t afford to take breaks. And I hope he has a successor named for his current slate of projects.
Russel Crowe and Ridley Scott filming in 1999 via Universal Pictures
Gladiator 2 Cast
The upcoming sequel has a star-studded cast. Oscar-nominated Paul Mescal as Lucuis, and Connie Nielsen is reprising her role as his mother, Lucilla. Other named characters include Barry Keoghan as Emperor Geta and Joseph Quinn (aka Eddie from Stranger Things) as Emperor Caracalla. Djimon Hounsou, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal are confirmed with no characters attached just yet.
Details on the story are sparse, but the casting gives some clues. While Russell Crow isn’t coming back, there are familiar names on the cast list. Paul Mescal’s character is in the first movie – Lucius is the son of Commodus’s sister, Lucilla. He was just a boy when Maximus was fighting in the Colosseum. He and the gladiator met a few times, enough to make an impression on the boy who came to see him as a hero. In the sequel, that boy may grow up to set aside the Roman throne and become a gladiator-like Maximus. Choosing the life of a heroic gladiator to escape his uncle’s treachery and the corruption of Roman aristocracy makes sense. Or maybe he lands in a bad situation like Maximus and has to redeem himself. Either way – this story is about him.
Details are still being released, but there is a confirmed release date – Gladiator 2 arrives in theaters on November 22, 2024.
