Epic First ‘Gladiator 2' Footage Leaves CinemaCon Very Entertained

Epic First ‘Gladiator 2′ Footage Leaves CinemaCon Very Entertained

Gladiator 2 swept into the Colosseum at at Caesars Palace, where theater owners were given the first public look at footage from Ridley Scott’s epic.

Scott sent in a video from London to introduce the piece. “It is possibly even more extraordinary than the first,” said Scott of the film. Star Paul Mescal Mescal called it a “standout moment” in his life to date. Denzel Washington said the film will have “emotion” and “spectacle ” beyond anything else in theaters this year.

In the footage, Mescal is revealed to be a gladiator (apparently, he is not playing the newphew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Emperor Commodus, as had been reported). His character is seen fighting murderous monkeys, as well as a soldier on a rhinoceros. At one point, the Colosseum is filled with water for an epic ship battle.

The first Gladiator won Russell Crowe a best actor Oscar, and told the story of a Roman general sold into slavery and is forced to fight as a gladiator, all while turning his growing popularity with the people against the murderous Commodus.

It seems that Mescal’s character is inspired by Crowe’s Maximus. “I remember that day. I never forgot it. That a slave could take revenge against an emperor. That a slave could get justice in the arena,” he says at one point.

The project also delves into politics, with Pedro Pascal playing a military figure who no longer wants to throw away Rome’s young men on war – and he to is then condemned to fight as a gladiator. Washington, meanwhile, seems to be guiding Mescal to inspire revolution.

“The only truth in Rome is the law of the strongest,” says Washington.

Going into CinemaCon, Gladiator 2 was among the most anticipated movies, given its pedigree as the sequel to Scott’s 2000 best picture winner, and given reports of a large budget that would suggest plenty of spectacle onscreen for the Nov. 22 release.

Scott sent in a video message, with stars helping introduce the footage including Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Washington.

Gladiator 2 is a risky proposition for Paramount and for Scott, who takes big swings with his movies that sometimes generate hits, and sometimes don’t. His 2023 Apple epic Napoleon grossed $221 million globally, which would be a concerning number for a legacy studio, though the tech giant was not counting on it as a theatrical play. For its part, Paramount is high on Scott, and has enlisted him to direct an upcoming Bee Gees biopic.

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