A new trailer for the long awaited Gladiator 2 has dropped, and a huge connection to the first film has been made.
It was one of the defining films of the 2000s, as Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen among others, set a precedent for historical titles.
Though none will return in leading roles for the sequel, the hype is undeniable and it has been building since the first trailer dropped.
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If you haven't seen the new trailer, you can view it here:
Paul Mescal is in the lead role of Lucius Verus I, taking over the reins from Crowe, while also being joined in the cast by Denzel Washington, as a former slave turned gladiator owner.
As well as that, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and May Calamawy join the cast too.
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Fans of the original have called the sequel 'the return of cinema', though Crowe has not been the happiest with the second film.
Speaking to Kyle Meredith, he explained: "I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done.
"But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like ‘No, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character’. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like."
Set 20 years after the original, fans have noticed that there is a clear link between this film and the 2000 title.
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The reveal is that Lucius is the son of Crowe's character, Maximus, so he is Lucius Maximus, not Verus, as he had been led to believe his whole life.
In the trailer, his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) unveils the news before his battle in the Colosseum.
Mescal himself knew about the character's relation to Maximus Decimus Meridius when he first spoke to director Ridley Scott, who also directed the original.
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Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Mescal explained: "He mentioned it in the talk, but then it's an affronting thing to see it written on the page, and [to have] that responsibility fall on your shoulders is interesting."
Maximus' parents are never really revealed in the 2000 film, though the idea that Lucius might be Maximus' son had been suggested.
For example, Lucilla and Maximus are known lovers from the past, and there is a moment in the film where the little boy looks up to the warrior.
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Despite these suggestions, Mescal was taken aback when he learnt the news.
When asked if he was surprised, he answered: "Oh, absolutely. I was like, 'Holy s***.'"
Describing the pressures of the legacy as 'inescapable', he says it didn't play too much of a role in how he approached the role, explaining that the two characters face very different journeys from start to finish of their respective films.
Gladiator II will be out in UK cinemas on 15 November.
Topics: Film, TV and Film
Joshua Nair