“Gladiator II” Trailer Takes Us Back to Ancient Rome

Paul Mescal in “Gladiator II”
Paul Mescal in “Gladiator II”

After over two decades, Ridley Scott’s cult classic Gladiator is finally getting a sequel, and its first trailer just hit the shelves. Paul Mescal leads the way in Gladiator II as Lucius Verus, who’s forced to fight as the gladiator after being imprisoned by the Roman army.

Gladiator II takes place over 20 years after the events of Gladiator, and it reunites us with Lucius Verus, Commodus’ nephew and son of Marcus Aurelius and Lucilla, who was once heir to the throne. He now lives in a coastal town in Numidi, with no connection to his old life, before he’s taken by the Roman army and forced to fight as a gladiator, challenging the rule of the young emperors Caracalla and Geta.

In addition to Mescal in the lead role, the star-studded cast of Gladiator 2 also includes Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, May Calamawy, Tim McInnerny, Alexander Karim, and Rory McCann.

Ridley Scott returned as the director of this highly-anticipated sequel, while David Scarpa wrote the script. David Franzoni, who created the characters and co-wrote the first film, returned as one of the producers alongside Scott.

Gladiator II will be released internationally on November 15, before hitting the theaters in North America on November 22.