On Friday, L.A. influencers were drooling all over social media after having seen Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II.” Yesterday, I mentioned how, internally, I’d been hearing more mixed takes from critics.
With that said, Paramount brought “Gladiator II” to New York last night. And guess what? Reactions are less enthusiastic, but the film might be good enough to sneak into the Oscar conversation. Everyone is rooting for Scott, who turns 87 and has never won an Academy Award.
One thing’s for certain, Denzel Washington is a top contender for Best Supporting Actor. Even detractors of “Gladiator II” say he’s the best part of this $300M+ film. Meanwhile, folks seem to be split on Mescal’s performance with one critic saying the actor doesn’t fully pull off the “anger” needed for his character.
“Gladiator II” is set to arrive in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, with Paul Mescal as the lead and Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen in supporting roles.
