Ridley Scott’s legendary Rome finally returns before our eyes with the first images of Gladiator 2.
Among the sequels that no one ever really asked for, but that everyone is waiting for anyway, we call Gladiator 2. Of course, we won’t be on Nick Cave’s draft script, which planned to resurrect Maximus and make him travel through the ages (yes yes), but the very existence of this sequel, which will follow Lucius, Lucilla’s son, has surprised more than one person.
Despite Hollywood being ready to re-launch anything for no reason, it is Scott who is behind this second opus. The director had long dreamed of continuing his six-time Oscar-winning success in 2001, the project just went through different phases of production and writing before finally arriving here. 24 years after the original, The world of Maximus Decimus Meridius is revealed to us once again, and it still looks as beautiful as ever.
Gladiator 2 : Lucius Revenge
Gladiator 2 takes place 20 years after the events of the first film, following Lucius, the son of Lucilla and Maximus (Ridley Scott confirmed that Maximus was indeed his father), who will have to follow his own path. We will see among others Lucilla, still played by Connie Nielsen, General Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, the Emperors Caracalla and Geta played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, and finally the arms dealer Macrinus, played by Denzel Washington.
Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius here, spoke with Vanity Fair to talk about the highly anticipated sequel, and This is where new images were revealed.
Visually, the film appears to have a polished aesthetic.which should at least be equal to the first opus, given that John Mathieson, director of photography on the original, is reprising his position here. We can clearly feel the influence and presence of the first opus in these images, notably with the presence of Maximus’ armor in these photos, but also in the framing of the fights, which seem to directly refer to Russell Crowe’s character.
As long as Scott doesn’t desacralize his first work, there’s little chance that this Gladiator 2 enrages fans, as did some of the saga’s prequels. Alien. In any case, the project is intriguing, and these first images are already making our mouths water and making it easier to wait for the first trailer, scheduled for July 9. The full film will be released in theaters on November 13.
