Paramount Pictures unveiled five minutes of unfinished footage from the highly-anticipated sequel Gladiator II – hitting US/UK theaters November 22 – during the final day of CinemaCon at Caesars Palace’s Colloseum in Las Vegas on Thursday.
In it, Oscar nominee Paul Mescal’s character battles three-time Emmy nominee Pedro Pascal’s Roman general-turned-gladiator, man-eating baboons, and a rhino-riding warrior.
The 28-year-old Irishman took over the role of Lucius Verus (Spencer Treat Clark), the grown-up nephew of the late Roman Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) who idolized the late general-turned-slave-turned-gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe).
‘I remember the days that a slave could take revenge on the emperor, that a slave found justice in the arena,’ Lucius – who’s spent the past 20 years in the woods – says in the teaser.
Derek Jacobi returns as Senator Gracchus and Connie Nielsen is back as Lucius’ mother Lucilla, who bestows Maximus’ ring to him in the film set in 200 BCE.
Paramount Pictures unveiled five minutes of unfinished footage from the highly-anticipated sequel Gladiator II – hitting US/UK theaters November 22 – during the final day of CinemaCon at Caesars Palace’s Colloseum in Las Vegas on Thursday
In it, Oscar nominee Paul Mescal’s (L) character battles three-time Emmy nominee Pedro Pascal’s (R) Roman general-turned-gladiator, man-eating baboons, and a rhino-riding warrior
‘A rebellion will rise,’ Lucius says at one point. ‘What we do in life echoes in eternity.’
Denzel Washington portrays a mastermind slave-turned-arms-dealer who tells Lucius: ‘The greatest temple that Rome ever built was the Colosseum. This is what they believe in – power…Rome must fall. I need only to give it a push.’
Joseph Quinn – who coincidentally attended CinemaCon Thursday for A Quiet Place: Day One – takes on the baddie role as Emperor Caracalla: ‘Your trials will be celebrated with games in the Colosseum.’
Gladiator II – which has men fighting atop giant boats in shark-infested waters – will also feature Matt Lucas, Fred Hecnhinger, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, and Tim McInnerny.
‘Working on this film was one of the standout moments of my life to date,’ Paul gushed in the pre-taped introduction.
‘Getting to go to work every day with Sir Ridley Scott behind the camera is a good day to work in any context.’
The 86-year-old filmmaker added: ‘It is possibly even more extraordinary than the first. [It] is well worth the wait.’
Ridley’s original 2000 historical epic famously amassed $465.4M at the global box office and won five Academy Awards including best picture.
The 28-year-old Irishman took over the role of Lucius Verus (L, Spencer Treat Clark), the grown-up nephew of the late Roman Emperor Commodus (M, Joaquin Phoenix) who idolized the late general-turned-slave-turned-gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe)
Derek Jacobi (L) returns as Senator Gracchus and Connie Nielsen (R) is back as Lucius’ mother Lucilla, who bestows Maximus’ ring to him in the film set in 200 BCE
Denzel Washington (pictured March 12) portrays a mastermind slave-turned-arms-dealer who tells Lucius: ‘The greatest temple that Rome ever built was the Colosseum. This is what they believe in – power…Rome must fall. I need only to give it a push’
Joseph Quinn – who coincidentally attended CinemaCon Thursday for A Quiet Place: Day One – takes on the baddie role as Emperor Caracalla: ‘Your trials will be celebrated with games in the Colosseum’
Gladiator II – which has men fighting atop giant boats in shark-infested waters – will also feature Matt Lucas, Fred Hecnhinger, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, and Tim McInnerny
Ridley Scott’s original 2000 historical epic famously amassed $465.4M at the global box office and won five Academy Awards including best picture
