Gladiator II (2024)

What is Gladiator 2 about?

Gladiator 2 is an upcoming historical drama epic produced by Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Scott Free Productions, and Red Wagon Entertainment. The movie is a sequel to Gladiator and is directed by Ridley Scott, the filmmaker behind the original movie. Gladiator 2 is written by David Scarpa who wrote the screenplay for two other Ridley Scott movies, Napoleon and All the Money in the World.

Who's starring in Gladiator 2?

Gladiator 2 is led by Paul Mescal in the role of Lucius. Mescal is known for his roles in God’s Creatures and Aftersun. He is joined in the cast by the multi-award-winning actor Denzel Washington who stars as a wealthy arms trader who used to be a slave. Danish actress Connie Nielsen returns to play Lucilla, having starred in the role in the original movie. Derek Jacobi also reprises his role from Gladiator and is portraying Senator Gracchus. Djimon Hounsou is another actor who returns to his role, playing Juba. Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Pedro Pascal, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas are all in the cast.

Does Maximus appear in Gladiator 2?

The legendary commander and gladiator Maximus whose story was chronicled in the first Gladiator movie will not be returning for the sequel. Despite early drafts of the movie including Maximus, the finalized script for Gladiator 2 features a new leas character, Lucius played by Paul Mescal. Despite Russel Crowe  being interested in reprising his role as Maximus, director Ridley Scott decided against it. 

What is Pedro Pascal's role in the movie?

Pedro Pascal plays a general who becomes a gladiator, in a storyline similar to that of Maximus. Pascal has hinted in comments that his character is considered an authority, perhaps even a member of the royal household.

Will Hans Zimmer be scoring Gladiator 2?

One of the most striking aspects of the original movie was the score by acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer. For the sequel however, director Ridley Scott is working with British composer Harry Gregson-Williams. This movie marks the sixth collaboration between the pair, with Gregson-Williams having scored Kingdom of Heaven, Prometheus, House of Gucci, The Martian, and Alien: Covenant.  

Where is Gladiator 2 filmed?

To recapture the essence of the first movie, filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to Malta where much of the original was filmed. The movie also filmed various scenes in Morocco and in the United Kingdom. Filming on the movie started on May 8, 2023 and went till Jul 13, 2023 before being halted by strikes. It finished filming by January 17, 2024.