The first official trailer for the much-anticipated movie Gladiator II has just been released.
The sequel comes over two decades after Ridley Scott’s hugely successful blockbuster, which saw Russell Crowe win the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Released in 20oo, Gladiator follows the story of Maximus, a former Roman General who sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Gladiator II picks up from where the first film left off. Now grown up, Lucius Versus (Mescal), son of a former co-emperor who lived a peaceful life in Numidia for 15 years, is captured by Roman soldiers led by Marcus Acacius (Pascal) and enslaved. The exiled force of power must now train as a gladiator for any hope to one day enact his revenge.
Prior to the release of the trailer, Paramount Pictures took to Instagram to share a series of teaser images.
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Irish fans are thrilled to see the return of their own Paul Mescal to the big screen. Also dabbling in singling, the All of Us Strangers star provided background vocals on Phoebe Bridger’s song “So Much Wine,” with its proceeds going to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Mescal earned his breakout role as Connell Waldron in the limited series adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestseller Normal People. The County Kildare native, with a background in playing Gaelic football growing up, proved to be a perfect fit for the Gladiator II role.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Irish Actor said that Gladiator II is about “what human beings will do to survive, but also what human beings will do to win.”
While we don’t know yet if the upcoming movie will have queer themes, both Mescal and Pascal have recently starred in LGBTQ+ films.
Pascal is also known as an avid advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. The Last of Us actor has been very supportive of his sister Lux Pascal when she came out as trans, and he continues to use his social media platforms to advocate for LGBTQ+ and civil rights.
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In addition to Mescal and Pascal, Gladiator II stars household names such as Denzel Washington, Connie Nielson, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger.
The film is set to hit Irish cinemas on Friday, November 15, 2024. You can watch the trailer below.
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