The First ‘Gladiator 2’ Trailer Is Epic And Absolutely Stunning

The gang is chanting. The twin emperors of Rome are thirsty for blood. Step again into the coliseum, girls and gents, it’s time for superb fight.

After a bunch of teaser photos and previews have been launched over the previous few weeks, the primary trailer for Gladiator II is out this morning and it’s completely gorgeous. I’ve not been this hyped for a film about Rome because the first trailer for the unique Gladiator dropped almost 25 years in the past. (I’ve really bought that movie in 4K Blu-ray format to observe once more for the primary time in years earlier than the sequel comes out).

The sequel to Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix’s epic historic drama picks up years after the primary film, and follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew to the primary movie’s villain, Commodus (Phoenix).

Lucius was a boy in that movie, performed by Spencer Deal with Clark. His mom shipped him off to Africa and out of Rome’s clutches, however he has returned within the sequel as a gladiator the place he meets the highly effective and scheming Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and Basic Marcus Acacius, who as soon as served underneath Basic Maximus (Crowe).

Right here’s the trailer:

This appears to be like each bit as epic and grand as the primary movie, with an much more star-studded solid. Mescal, a younger Irish actor, is the least well-known among the many leads however director Ridley Scott turned a fan of his after watching Regular Folks. Apparently the 2 solely spoke for half an hour earlier than Scott determined to solid him. Mescal additionally starred in Aftersun, which acquired rave opinions and only in the near past landed on Netflix.

In response to an interview with Vainness Truthful, Pascal discovered the battles within the film a problem to movie. “It’s brutal, man. I name him Brick Wall Paul,” he stated of his co-star. “He obtained so sturdy. I’d somewhat be thrown from a constructing than need to struggle him once more. To go up towards any individual that match and that gifted and that a lot youthful…. Outdoors of Ridley being a complete genius, Paul is a giant cause as to why I’d put my poor physique by way of that have.”

Mescal stated he didn’t need to prepare to appear like an underwear mannequin, specializing in struggle choreography as a substitute: “I simply needed to be huge and robust and appear like any individual who may cause a bit of harm,” he instructed Vainness Truthful.

Nielsen, who reprises her position as Lucilla, stated of Pascal, “What a present that man is. Even to play with, to work with, I simply completely love him, and he’s so good for this position. He’s a type of uncommon actors who actually has coronary heart, soul, and on the similar time this unimaginable reward of transformation.”

Rounding out the solid are Fred Hechinger (Thelma) as Emperor Caracalla and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Issues) as Emperor Geta. The 2 come off as somewhat unhinged within the trailer.

For his half, Scott says this sequel means a fantastic deal to him particularly after giving up the prospect to direct so a lot of his different classics. “I imply, I ought to have completed the sequels to Alien and to Blade Runner. You alter over time. At the moment, I didn’t need to undergo it once more.” James Cameron ended up directing the sequel to Alien and Dune director, Denis Villeneuve, directed Blade Runner 2049. Again within the 80s, as a newcomer, “I used to be by no means instructed or requested. You possibly can think about I wasn’t comfortable.”

The one factor I’m not proud of on this trailer is the bizarre inclusion of hip-hop music, which I can solely assume is a few advertising exec’s shiny thought to enchantment to the youthful demographic, loads of whom weren’t born when the unique got here out. It doesn’t work.

Gladiator II opens in theaters on November twenty second. Together with Deadpool & Wolverine, that is one in every of my most-anticipated movies within the again half of 2024.