Stop the presses! The sequel to Ridley Scott’s much-acclaimed turn-of-the-century Oscar-winning movie has surprisingly opted to go by the name “Gladiator II”. Many presumed the film, starring Paul Mescal, would sport a title more along the lines of “Gladiator II: The Furious Wrath” or “Gladiator II: The Treacherous Betrayal”. However, it appears the creators are content with the simple square root of four (although it does employ Roman numerals). It’s speculated that the film’s budget exceeded a staggering $250 million – quite something considering they couldn’t extend to a more elaborate subtitle.
Despite this, a sizeable proportion of that budget is evident in the initial trailer, with Mescal taking centre stage. Much like the Romans of old, they too knew how to flaunt their budget to attract a crowd. It’s believed that Emperor Scottus Ridlium truly filled the Colosseum to re-enact naval combat, a spectacle replicated in this film by his modern counterpart, albeit using CGI. And the extravagant scenes don’t stop there – with sieges, riots, deadly rhinos at bay and actual marine battles.
The audience, however, are chiefly interested in the scenes that highlight Mescal’s impressive physique. Rest assured, his muscles are fully authentic. Many became familiar with the Maynooth native in his role as a soft, literary protagonist in the TV programme “Normal People”. His display of physical prowess on the GAA field was impressive, but hardly a hint to his upcoming portrayal of a fearsome Gladiator, with a suit of leather armour stretched to its capacity – a thing that would have hung loosely on the likes of Kirk Douglas or Charlton Heston.
“His strength is remarkable,” states co-star Pedro Pascal, who plays his principal adversary. He admitted he’d prefer to be tossed from a building than face him in combat again.
Cleverly, the trailer doesn’t reveal too much of the storyline. Nonetheless, it’s common knowledge that Mescal is cast as Lucius Verus, the previous emperor’s heir and son to Lucilla. The latter role is reprised by Connie Nielsen from the original film. In an unusual supporting role, Denzel Washington plays a merciless wealth manager who oversees a group of glistening gladiators.
Naturally, Russell Crowe’s character Maximus isn’t amongst the living, or perhaps he might be? The footage of Mescal does show him using an accent that seems quite nondescript, which oddly echoes the mysterious blend of average English and interchangeable Celtic that left us somewhat baffled when the Australian native from New Zealand used it in 2000.
Unlike this, Scott and his crew emphasised a lot more on the action sequences in the first trailer, predominantly comprising of blows, hits and screams. Following much chatter around extravagance in budget and schedule setbacks, the trailer has seemingly cast a spell on viewers who viewed it first, despite its loudness. The sequel to Gladiator is set to be launched in Ireland on the 15th of November. Expectations are indeed high for this release.