‘Gladiator 2’ – Pedro Pascal Plays a Ruthless Roman General in First Trailer
The first Gladiator 2 trailer is here. It’s filled with violent arena battles and a new story of revenge against the Roman Empire.
Gladiator is one of those movies that just works—the plot is solid, the cast is stacked, and the production is filled with top-notch talent, from costumes to special effects. It brings back the feeling of grand movies of the 1950s—we didn’t think we’d get another Ben-Hur, but we did. It’s an excellent movie, an instant classic. I’m not sure if we really need a sequel, as the original has a great ending, but we’re getting one. It’s going to be hard to recapture what made the 2000 juggernaut so good.
The first trailer is finally here and it’s certainly pretty to look at. Do you think it will be a worthy follow up?
The theory that Lucuis left a life of royalty and power to follow the path of his hero has proved correct. After Maximus’s death, his mother sends him to Numidia in Africa. There, he lives a quiet life with his wife and child until Roman conquerors arrive at his doorstep. He returns to the eternal city as a slave and aims to get revenge from the arena, just as his hero did.
I’m still iffy about the need for a sequel, but I will admit the action-filled trailer looks like a good time. Gladiator 2 will definitely be a big-screen spectacular, and it has a great cast. Hopefully, it won’t have the pacing issues that made Napoleon a snoozefest. We shall see if returning to Rome and the violence of the arena will redeem the legendary director.
The Cast
The movie has a star-studded cast. Oscar-nominated Paul Mescal as Lucuis and Connie Nielsen is reprising her role as his mother, Lucilla. Derek Jacobi will be back as Senator Gracchus. Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, who appears to be the owner of a prestigious Ludus. Other named characters include Fred Hechinger as Emperor Geta and Joseph Quinn (aka Eddie from Stranger Things) as Emperor Caracalla. Pedro Pascal is General Marcus Acacius, who serves them.
Gladiator 2 arrives in theaters on November 22.
