“Gladiator II”: Paul Mescal Fights His Way Through the Roman Army in Action-Packed Trailer

Jen Juneau

9 July 2024 at 9:36 am·2-min read

The first trailer for Ridley Scott's upcoming epic historical drama sequel, out Nov. 22, gives audiences their first glimpse at Paul Mescal's character Lucius

We are entertained!

Audiences are getting a first glimpse at Paul Mescal in Gladiator II, a follow-up to the hit Russell Crowe-led 2000 film.

In the sequel, Mescal, 28, plays Lucius, the son of the original Gladiator's Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of villain Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who grows to idolize Maximus (Crowe) as he fights in Rome's gladiator rings. The trailer shows Lucius meet Denzel Washington's character, who takes him under his wing. Lucius proves an adept fighter and leader in the ring, and it even teases a forthcoming duel between his character and Pedro Pascal's Roman warrior.

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<p>Paramount Pictures</p> Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II — Paramount Pictures
Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II

Directed once again by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II is from a screenplay by David Scarpa (Napoleon) and also costars Joseph Quinn and Nielsen, among others.

"Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist," reads an official synopsis for the movie. "With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."

<p>Paramount Pictures</p> Gladiator II — Paramount Pictures
Gladiator II

“I thought the [first] film was, as it were, completely satisfactory, creatively complete, so why muck with it, right?” Scott told Deadline in November 2023 of why he chose to make a sequel. “But these cycles keeps going on and on and on, they repeat globally for the last 20 years. It started to spell itself out as an obvious thing to do, and that’s how it evolved.”

Gladiator II is in theaters Nov. 22.

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