Over two decades after Gladiator first saw the light of day, Ridley Scott is ready to take us back to Ancient Rome. The epic first trailer for Gladiator II is here, and it sees Paul Mescal stepping into the arena and fighting for his life as the gladiator Lucius Verus.
Lucius Verus has really been through it since the first Gladiator movie—the son of Marcus Aurelius and Lucilla was once an heir to the Roman Empire, but those days are long behind him. He’s trying to lead a peaceful life in the coastal town of Numidia before he’s forced into slavery after being taken from his home by the Roman army.
Inspired by the story of Maximus, he resolves to give it his all to survive the arena and fight as the gladiator, challenging the rule of emperors Caracalla and Geta.
In addition to the Oscar nominee Paul Mescal in the lead role, Gladiator II also stars Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, May Calamawy, Tim McInnerny, Alexander Karim, and Rory McCann.
Gladiator II was written by David Scarpa, with Ridley Scott returning as the director and producer. It will premiere internationally on November 15, before hitting the theaters in North America a week later, on November 22.
