We finally have our first look at Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” via 10 newly released images (Vanity Fair). The first trailer will be released on July 9.
The film is said to be a revenge story. Lucius (Paul Mescal), a noble journeyman, has his wife murdered and decides to go to the capital to seek revenge and fight his way to the top of the chain. Denzel Washington’s puppet master, a power broker, is the villain of the film, overseeing everything and impressed by Lucius’ talents.
According to a source who attended the April test-screening, the action scenes in “Gladiator II” are incredibly gory and, much like the original, rousingly entertaining — there’s sharks, killer monkeys, a massive rhino and overall great choreography.
Scott, 86, is coming off last year’s “Napoleon,” which was seen by many as a disappointing effort. He’s always been a hit-and-miss director, but also hasn’t had a critical and commercial success since 2015’s “The Martian.” Will “Gladiator II” break this dry spell?
The cast for “Gladiator II,” which is rumored to have a budget of $350M, is certainly attractive and includes the likes of Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen. The screenplay was written by David Scarpa (“Napoleon”).
