Paul Mescal is set to star in the long-awaited Gladiator sequel from director Ridley Scott, which will continue the story of the 2000 historical epic that turned Russell Crowe into a household name.
The actor, who burst onto the scene in BBC Three’s Normal People, will play an adult version of Lucius – son of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla – who appeared as a young boy in the first film (then played by Unbreakable’s Spencer Treat Clark).
Fans will remember that Crowe’s Maximus, who dies in glorious battle in the original, left quite an impression on the young Lucius after saving him and his mother from the despicable Commodore (Joaquin Phoenix).
Now, it appears the character will be following in his footsteps, entering the gladiatorial arena to fight his own battles in a sequel that reunites celebrated filmmaker Scott with costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max.
Deadline first reported news that Mescal was in final negotiations to star in the film, with Scott viewing him as the clear standout after having reportedly met with numerous other actors.
The Irish actor has been choosing his projects carefully since becoming an overnight superstar during the pandemic, with follow-up projects including The Lost Daughter and Aftersun, the latter of which is featured on the BAFTA 2023 longlist.
The script for Gladiator 2 has been written by David Scarpa, who has previously worked with Scott on his 2017 thriller All The Money in the World and his upcoming war flick Napoleon.
It is unclear at this stage whether Crowe’s Maximus will feature in any capacity, with Scott previously saying he had ideas to bring the character back despite his apparent death in the first film.
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“I know how to bring him back,” he told Entertainment Weekly (via Yahoo! Movies). “I was having this talk with the studio – ‘but he’s dead.’ But there is a way of bringing him back.
“Whether it will happen I don’t know. Gladiator was 2000, so Russell’s changed a little bit. He’s doing something right now but I’m trying to get him back down here.”
Mescal and Scott have a big challenge ahead in terms of matching the first film, which made almost half a billion dollars at the global box office and racked up a stunning 12 Academy Award nominations, winning five including Best Picture.
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