Impressed by the Gladiator II Trailer?

Ridley Scott has unveiled the new trailer for Gladiator II, a sequel arriving 24 years after his original Gladiator, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The sequel is set to open in US theaters on November 22, 2024. Watch the newly revealed trailer below.

Instead of Russell Crowe, who perished at the end of the first film, Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus. Lucius, the former heir to the Empire and nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus (also deceased in the first film), becomes the protagonist. Since the original events, Lucius lost touch with his mother, played by Connie Nielsen, who is returning for the sequel, went into the wilderness, became a prisoner of the Roman army, and now finds himself, much like his hero Maximus, forced to fight as a gladiator.

Alongside Mescal and Nielsen, Gladiator II’s cast includes Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who trained under Maximus but has since turned to the dark side; Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a power broker who controls a stable of gladiators; and Joseph Quinn as co-emperor Geta. Meanwhile, Derek Jacobi reprises his role from the first film as Senator Gracchus.

Despite having no role in Gladiator II, Crowe recently acknowledged that he was nonetheless “slightly uncomfortable” with the idea of the sequel. “I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done,” Crowe admitted during a recent appearance with Kyle Meredith With. “But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like — no, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like.” Crowe won an Academy Award for his performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.

Paul Mescal as Lucius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal plays Lucius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Joseph Quinn plays Emperor Geta in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal as Lucius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal and Director Ridley Scott on the set of Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal plays Lucius and Alexander Karim plays Ravi in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal plays Lucius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal as Lucius and Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Paul Mescal as Lucius in Gladiator II (Paramount) Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in Gladiator II (Paramount) Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla in Gladiator II (Paramount) Fred Hechinger plays Emperor Caracalla in Gladiator II (Paramount).

Sourced: Consequence