Gladiator II’sstar,Paul Mescal,could have easily buckled under the Colosseum-like weight of trying to live up toGladiator’sindelible legacy, not to mention working with renowned director Ridley Scott. After all, the 28-year-old actor is tasked with playing the film’s lead protagonist, Lucius, who just happens to be the grown-up son of Maximus (Russell Crowe). Plus, Mescal must also go up against acting giants Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal on-screen — not an easy feat.
Nonetheless, the actor thrived against all odds, and Scott’s highly anticipated sword-and-sandal sequel was an experience Mescal (Normal People, All of Us Strangers) will never forget. First, the young thespian spoke fondly of collaborating with Scott, even referring to him as a “legend,” in a brand-new interview withScreen Rant:
“I’ve never worked with anybody like him [Scott] in terms of style. It’s super-fast. It feels like how it felt like when I was playing sports. You’re exercising different muscles. And I think, as a result, anybody who’s seen any of my work that’s preceded this [knows] it’s a very different performance, which of course it is, because it’s a different style of direction. And he’s just, as you said, a legend and will be remembered as such.”
Second, when asked if he felt any pressure about living up toGladiator’slegacy, Mescal added:
“Yes and no because it was Ridley at the center of both of those stories, and he directed the first one with such brilliance. The fact that he was behind the camera on this filled me with confidence. Of course, there’s a natural nervousness and a desire to deliver. But that’s true of anything, regardless of a legacy of a film that’s preceded yours.”
Stepping Into the Sandals of Gladiator II’s Hero
Gladiator IIcertainly has imposing sandals to fill, in terms of living up to the legacy of the 2000 film. The cast of theGladiatorfollow-up is alreadypraising the movie and its director, Ridley Scott.However,Paul Mescal is tasked with not only bringing the son of Maximus to life on the big screen, but also giving the warrior’s grown-up offspring much-needed gravitas. As a result, Mescal endured an intense but “fun” research and preparation period en route to making Scott’s sequel. The actor said during his same sit-down with SR:
“I know this sounds boring, but it was pretty standard. It was kind of what you would expect it would be. It was gym training, running, sword training, [and] horse riding. It was fun. It requires a lot of discipline and a lot of kind of focus, but it’s great fun. And I like history, so it was also enjoyable to kind of go into what that period of time was like, specifically, in the Roman Empire.”
Ridley Scott Provides Colosseum-Sized Gladiator 3 Update
Gladiator II hasn’t even dropped in theaters yet, and director Ridley Scott is already teasing the follow-up’s development.
Mescal’s thoughtful yet intense preparation was certainly helped by the immense “canvas” Scott’sGladiator IIand its predecessor provided his artisans to play within, which allowed them to excel as actors on arguably the grandest of all film sets. Mescal said of being a part of that vast Roman world during the same sit-down:
“The first film influenced me because it sets up the language of performance. That’s kind of the canvas for the actors, both in the first film and the second film, and it’s a wonderful canvas to work from. And what was great about the second one is that it operates inside the same world, but the Roman Empire is moved 24 years down the line, so it feels like there’s a fresh opportunity to lay a marker down as an actor and also with the characters at the center of the story.”
Gladiator IIopens in theaters just ahead of Thanksgiving on Nov. 22.And the early reactions indicate the action-filled drama will prove to be a worthy sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film, as Paul Mescal’s Lucius must match wits withthe Oscar-winning Denzel Washington.Young Lucius will also battle Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) in the Colosseum.
Gladiator II
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
