Gladiator 2 lead Paul Mescal gained’t speak to Russell Crowe about sequel

Gladiator 2 isn’t only a pipe dream anymore. After years of hypothesis a Gladiator sequel is now in energetic growth, with Ridley Scott returning to direct. The brand new film even started filming earlier this 12 months earlier than pausing as a result of ongoing 2023 Actors Strikes for truthful circumstances.

Meaning the Gladiator 2 launch date is unsure, although it’s now more likely to debut in 2025, fairly than 2024. Main the solid of the movie, a follow-up to among the best films ever made, is Paul Mescal. Mescal was the breakout star of the collection Regular Folks, and earned an Oscar nomination for his function in 2022’s heart-breaking drama film Aftersun.

Mescal will star as an grownup Lucius Verus, a personality from the unique film, alongside Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal each in unconfirmed roles. These three names alone (and there are many others, too) already make it one of the vital hotly anticipated upcoming films. Nonetheless, one actor who isn’t concerned in any capability is Russell Crowe: Maximus himself.

That doesn’t trouble Mescal, who spoke about whether or not or not he’d talked to Crowe in an interview with Esquire, carried out previous to the SAG-AFTRA strike. “I don’t know what we might speak about,” mentioned Mescal, on the Oscar winner. “Like, I’d love to listen to his tales from filming, however the character is, like, completely separate.”

Mescal’s feedback present that the sequel goes to be forging its personal path ahead, fairly than relying too closely on the unique. However, it should nonetheless, “pay homage,” to Crowe’s film.

“I can’t inform you how careworn I’m speaking about that movie particularly,” he continued, “as a result of it’s undoubtedly the largest one I’ve completed. I really feel actually excited, however, like, it’s tough to get away from the legacy of the movie a bit. I feel it’s rather well written and it pays homage to the primary one, nevertheless it’s very a lot one thing that I feel I can step into and make comfortably my very own.”

With out giving something away concerning the plot, Mescal’s phrases appear to point that Gladiator 2 will likely be simply as assured and bold as the primary. Hopefully, it manages to recapture Gladiator’s epic scale, and mix of historic drama and motion.

For extra on the classics, try our information to the very best drama films and finest motion films. Or, see why we expect Ridley Scott would possibly simply have a greater monitor file than Steven Spielberg. You may also examine how his 2021 film The Final Duel remains to be criminally underrated.

To maintain up with the Gladiator 2 solid, discover out extra about the very best Denzel Washington films, and our information to The Equalizer 3 launch date. For Pedro Pascal, see what’s happening with The Mandalorian season 4 and find out about The Final of Us season 2 launch date.