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Gladiator II is an upcoming historical epic film directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott. Serving as a sequel to Gladiator (2000), the film was written by David Scarpa, and stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi, the last two reprising their roles. It was produced by Scott Free Productions for Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. A sequel to Gladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, with David Franzoni and John Logan set to return as screenwriters. Over the next few years, Scott offered occasional updates, including the possible involvement of the original film's lead actor, Russell Crowe, and plot ideas around the Roman afterlife and different historical time periods. Development was halted when DreamWorks sold the rights to the property to Paramount in 2006. The sequel was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was hired in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by Scarpa. The rest of the cast signed on over the next several months, and filming took place between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month hiatus due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Gladiator II is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 22, 2024. Cast Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus. Director Ridley Scott mentions that since he was last seen approximately 15 years ago, Lucius has been living "in the wilderness" with no connection with his mother, who now thinks he might be dead. He was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator (2000). Denzel Washington as a former slave-turned-wealthy arms and commodity dealer with a grudge against the emperors. Pedro Pascal as a former military commander whose defiance has resulted in him being condemned to being a gladiator. Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, the mother of Lucius. Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus, a member of the Roman Senate. Joseph Quinn as co-emperor Caracalla. Despite comparisons with Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus from the first film, Quinn did not feel he channeled Phoenix's performance, crediting Scott for wishing him to "play the chords louder and turn it up and go for the more brave or bold form" of communication. He also credited Nielsen for helping him and the rest of the cast to not be nervous about the first film's legacy. Fred Hechinger as co-emperor Geta Lior Raz Peter Mensah Matt Lucas May Calamawy Tim McInnerny Production Development In June 2001, developments for a Gladiator (2000) follow-up began in the form of potential for either a prequel or a sequel, with David Franzoni in early negotiations to once again serve as screenwriter. The following year, a sequel was announced to be moving forward with John Logan serving as screenwriter. The plot, set fifteen years later, included the Praetorian Guards ruling Rome, and an older-aged Lucius searching for the truth about his biological father. Franzoni signed on as producer, alongside Douglas Wick and Walter Parkes. In December 2002, the film's plot was announced to include prequel events regarding the parentage of Lucius, as well as sequel events depicting the resurrection of Maximus. Producers and Russell Crowe collaboratively and extensively researched ancient Roman beliefs regarding the afterlife. By September 2003, Ridley Scott announced that the script was completed, while confirming that the story would primarily center around the secret son of Maximus being Lucius. In May 2006, Scott stated that while development on the project continued, the exact story for the film had yet to be mapped out. The filmmaker stated that all creative minds that were involved with Gladiator were working on how to continue from where the story left off. Scott stated that Crowe had favoured a fantasy element in bringing Maximus back to life, while Scott believed a grounded, historical approach was the better option. While he believed the film would not be made, he confirmed the plan to reveal that Lucius is the son of Maximus and Lucilla. He also discussed the necessity of a more complex script with the corruption of Rome in the potential sequel. During this time, Nick Cave was commissioned to write a new draft of the script. It was later revealed to be written under the working title of "Christ Killer". Cave described the plot as a "deities vs. deity vs. humanity" story. The premise involved Maximus in purgatory, who is resurrected as an immortal eternal warrior for the Roman gods. In the draft, Maximus is sent to Earth and tasked with stopping the momentum of Christianity by killing Jesus Christ and his disciples, as their movement was gradually siphoning off the power and vitality of the ancient Pagan gods. During his task mission, Maximus is tricked into murdering his own son. Cursed to live forever, Cave's script included Maximus fighting amongst the Crusades, WWII, and the Vietnam War; with the ending revealing that in the modern-day time period, the character now works at The Pentagon. The script was ultimately rejected and scrapped. After experiencing financial difficulties in the 2000s, DreamWorks Pictures—including the rights to Gladiator and the rest of the pre-2006 live-action film library—was sold to Paramount Pictures in 2006 and development on the sequel was halted. In March 2017, Scott revealed that the difficulties of reintroducing Maximus, when the character is deceased, had been resolved. The filmmaker expressed enthusiasm for the future of the project, while discussions with Russell Crowe to reprise his role were ongoing. In November 2018, it was announced that Paramount was officially green-lighting the development of a sequel. Scott was in early negotiations to once again serve as director, with a script written by Peter Craig. Scott will additionally serve as producer alongside Doug Wick, Lucy Fisher, Walter Parkes, and Laurie MacDonald. The project will be a joint-venture production between Paramount, Scott Free Productions, and Parkes/MacDonald Productions with Universal Pictures as a co-financing partner. By June 2019, producers stated: "...we wouldn't touch unless we felt in a way to do it was legitimate." In their interview, they also revealed that the current script takes place 25–30 years after the first film. The plot will center around Lucius. In April 2021, Chris Hemsworth approached Crowe with a proposal to become involved with the project, with the intention to co-produce the film. While working together on Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), the two actors shared additional ideas for the film. By September 2021, Scott stated that the script was once again being worked on with his intention being to direct the sequel upon the completion of production on his current project Napoleon (2023). In November, it was revealed that David Scarpa, who worked with Scott on Napoleon, was rewriting the script. Scarpa was hired by Scott because of their friendship, but struggled with him to find a good script for the film's story since 2019, leading .... Discover the Julian Sancton popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Julian Sancton books.