Gladiator 2 Releases Action-Packed New Trailer

The action is flowing in a new trailer for Gladiator 2.

By Timothy Adams

The action is flowing in a new trailer for Gladiator II. Director Ridley Scott is back to explore the period of Ancient Rome where gladiators were the main source of entertainment for the masses. The movie is a sequel to 2000's Gladiator starring Russell Crowe as Maximus. This time, Maximus' son Lucius (Paul Mescal) is the star of Gladiator II, and he's pitted against General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) by the cunning Macrinus (Denzel Washington). The new Gladiator II trailer does a good job of setting up the conflict between its main players, with Lucius looking to get some vengeance against Marcus, all while Macrinus wants to acrue power.

It appears that Denzel Washington's Macrinus comes into possession of Paul Mescal's Lucius, who is a slave in Gladiator II. Lucius is a tool for Macrinus, with the former filled with rage that needs to be let loose on the world. We get a quick glimpse of how Rome has taken so much from Lucius, and his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) also returns from the first Gladiator movie. There are some epic battles on display, with some of the bigger set pieces coming in the Emperor's chambers as Lucius takes on different challengers in front of those assembled. 

Gladiator II star says sequel pays homage to Russell Crowe's Maximus

Last year, Paul Mescal confirmed Gladiator II will pay homage to the first film despite the fact that he has never spoken to Russell Crowe about the sequel.   

"I don't know what we would talk about. Like, I'd love to hear his stories from filming, but the character is, like, totally separate," Mescal explained. When it's mentioned that Lucius is long-rumored to be Maximus's son, Mescal refused to answer with a "Nawp!" 

"I can't get into that!" Mescal replied when asked if Lucius is a gladiator in the film.  "I can't tell you how stressed I am talking about that film in particular because it's definitely the biggest one I've done. I feel really excited, but, like, it's difficult to get away from the legacy of the film a bit. I think it's really well written and it pays homage to the first one, but it's very much something that I think I can step into and make comfortably my own."

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What is Gladiator II about?

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Gladiator II opens in theaters on November 22nd.

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