The film Gladiator 2, sequel to the 2000 classic starring the main roles Russell Crowe, has been officially confirmed. Instead of the winning star the Oscarhowever, the sequel will feature a new favorite Hollywood actor.
Sources heard from the Deadline website point this out Paul Meskal, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the miniseries Normal People (2020), is in final negotiations to star in the project. director of the original, Ridley Scott will return to his post to command Gladiator 2.
As the new protagonist, Mescal will not take on the role of Maximus in place of Crowe the character died in the final moments of the first feature film. He will play the adult version of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) who was originally lived by Spencer Treat Clark (Glass).
Gladiator 2 will take place years after the end of the first feature film and will show how events in Maximus’ life influenced Lucius’ journey. After all, the young man was just a boy when he saw the idol defeat his uncle Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), son of the Roman leader Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), who murdered his father, took the throne and ended up in the gladiator ring with maximum.
Also according to the publication, auditions for the role of Lucius began heating up as soon as the final draft of the script was delivered last November, with Mescal being one of the first to sit down with Scott. Though the director continued to meet with other actors, insiders said it seemed clear to everyone involved that Mescal was clearly the better choice after a “fantastic” meeting between the two.
After his breakthrough on Normal People, Mescal has become one of the most respected young actors in the film industry. He has starred in The Lost Daughter (2021) and is expected to be nominated for a 2023 Oscar for his work in Aftersun (2022), which is considered one of the main films of the last year. It was also dubbed Angelina Jolie’s new affair after the two were spotted together.