Paul Mescal Steps into the Arena in Epic Final Trailer for ‘Gladiator II’

Paul Mescal’s Lucius will return to Rome for vengeance in ‘Gladiator II’ in a few days, bringing fresh faces and dramatic action to the arena. The final trailer for Ridley Scott’s most recent historical epic has been made public. It shows the mayhem and destruction that will occur in the Colosseum when the movie opens on 22nd November. General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, enters the arena in the teaser. 

There are then snippets of Lucius’s quest for vengeance, his reunion with his mother Lucilla (played by Connie Nielsen), intense confrontations with Macrinus (played by Denzel Washington), and lots of exciting action both inside and outside the Colosseum.

‘Gladiator II’ has a 76% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has already had encouraging success abroad before its U.S. debut. Although the public’s opinion is still pending, preliminary assessments point to a fun follow-up that has been in development for more than 20 years. Years after the events of the first ‘Gladiator’, the story resumes with Lucius, now an adult, struggling with the agonizing fallout from Maximus’s sacrifice. 

Image Courtesy: People

To set the stage for a tumultuous reunion with his mother, Paul Mescal hinted that Lucius’s return to Rome would be replete with personal hardships, such as disputes with both his own family and the Roman authorities. In the middle of this chaos, Lucius and other fighters engage in a furious struggle in the Colosseum to face Pascal’s Marcus Acacius.

Lior Raz, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, and Joseph Quinn are also part of the ensemble cast. ‘Gladiator II’ is up against fierce competition as it gets ready to compete at the holiday box office. On 22nd November, its first competitor, the film musical ‘Wicked’, opens, and ‘Moana 2’ follows over Thanksgiving weekend.

–Farheen Ali