Who hasn’t heard of the iconic modern classic called Gladiator that came out at the dawn of the 21st Century? 22 years since then and we are yet to see some other historical epic that’s as good or better than Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. The film was a unique blend of history and fiction with an epic scale and lots of gore for that time. In fact many would agree when I say that this film was the beginning of a new kind of cinema. It gave birth to on screen representation of fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Saxon Stories, and inspired a lot of dark historical/fictional projects like Troy, King Arthur, 300, The Tudors, Vikings, etc. Gladiator was a revolutionary film indeed and it didn’t just perform great at the Box Office but was also honored by 5 Academy Awards and universal acclaim. And while most of us thought it was a one time event, that is not the case as Gladiator 2 is actively under production!
Gladiator 2 Will Resume Filming As Strikes Come To An End!
Gladiator 2, as you may know, is an upcoming American epic historical drama directed by Ridley Scott. Apparently, Scott has had the idea for the sequel ready since more than a decade but couldn’t materialize his vision till now. In June 2023, we got some major updates about the film in the form of set photos and cast ensemble photos. In July we learned that half the filming for the sequel had already been done. But after that the SAG-AFTRA strikes began and the filming for almost all films and TV Shows came to a halt.
Good news is that Variety has reported that Gladiator 2 will resume shooting in Malta on December 4, 2023! Another good news is that Gladiator 2 made it way past the halfway point of filming before the strikes. In fact, the actors and crew were able to film a substantial amount of scenes between that July report and when the actors’ strike began. A new report also suggests that Ridley Scott and the rest of the cast and crew won’t have as much to film when they return and that means the film would be able to release on time. Gladiator 2 is slated to release on November 22, 2024. As you may know, Ridley Scott is one of the few remaining filmmakers who prefers practical effects over CGI which means the pot production won’t be as heavy. This would really help Gladiator’s case and it might not get delayed at all!
Gladiator 2 Cast, Characters, and Plot
Moving to the plot of the film, the current script takes place 25–30 years after the first film and the plot will center around Lucius, the nephew of Commodus, who was portrayed immaculately by Joaquin Phoenix. The official plot has not been released, but from what we’ve heard so far, Gladiator 2 will largely follow Lucius’s life as an adult in Ancient Rome with Lucilla and Juba guiding him in the path ahead. Following is the confirmed cast of the film, many of whom, can be seen in the image above:
- Paul Mescal as Lucius whowas previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator.
- Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, the mother of Lucius reprising her role from Gladiator
- Djimon Hounsou as Juba, reprising his role from Gladiator
- Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus, a member of the Roman Senate
- Joseph Quinn as Emperor Caracalla
- Fred Hechinger as Emperor Geta
This aside, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas have been cast in undisclosed roles. The star studded cast might further expand in the upcoming few months. Of course, the film is being directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa with cinematography by John Mathieson and editing by Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo. The composer of the film hasn’t been disclosed yet but fans are wishing for the return of the legendary German composer Hans Zimmer who is currently busy with Dune: Part Two. Other choices for music composition could be Martin Phipps who has also scored Scott’s Napoleon or Harry Gregson-Williams who scored Scott’s The Last Duel.
Gladiator 2 is set to hit theatres on 22nd November 2024 but we could see some delay as well considering how much care and effort Scott puts in to make his movies iconic. Scott’s Napoleon is now in theatres and the director’s cut will be released in early 2024 on Apple TV+.
If you have any questions regarding Gladiator 2, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
