The first official trailer for Ridley Scott's long-awaited historical action epic Gladiator II has arrived online and it's every bit as epic as you'd expect as Paul Mescal (Normal People; Aftersun; The Lost Daughter) squares off against 3x Primetime Emmy-nominee Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian; Game of Thrones; Narcos) and Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington (Training Day; Fences; Malcolm X).
As per the official synopsis, "Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."
Ridley Scott returns to direct the upcoming epic, a sequel to his blockbuster starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix as Maximus Decimus Meridius and Commodus, respectively. The original, which opened in 2000, grossed over $465.4 million globally on its estimated $100 million production budget and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It is also often frequently regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, so the sequel certainly has a lot to live up to.
In addition to Mescal, Pascal, and Washington, the all-star supporting cast features Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman; Gladiator; The Devil's Advocate), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things; Catherine the Great; Overlord), Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus; Fear Street Part One: 1994; News of the World), Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius; Gladiator; The King's Speech), Tim McInnerny (Blackadder; Notting Hill; Eddie the Eagle), Alexander Karim (Tyrant; The Lawyer; Zero Dark Thirty), Lior Raz (Fauda; 6 Underground; Mary Magdalene), Peter Mensah (300; Avatar; Spartacus: Blood and Sand), Matt Lucas (Little Britain; Bridesmaids; Alice in Wonderland), and May Calamawy (Ramy; Moon Knight; The Long Road Home).
Gladiator II hits theaters on November 22!
Watch the official trailer below:
From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.