Ridley Scott’s epic sequel to the Oscar-winning Gladiator is set to land in theaters on November 22nd, with Normal People‘s Paul Mescal taking the spotlight as Lucius, former heir to the Roman Empire-turned-unwilling Colosseum combatant. An already demanding role, Mescal revealed in a recent interview that he was even more intimidated at the prospect of working opposite legendary actor Denzel Washington, who plays a wealthy powerbroker with a stable full of prospective gladiators, including Mescal’s character, in Gladiator 2.
Speaking to GQ, Mescal didn’t hold back about the anxiety he felt upon taking the lead role in Scott’s formidable follow-up to the critically acclaimed action-adventure drama. With a budget of approximately $300 million — as opposed to the original Gladiator‘s $103 million — Gladiator 2 boasts some truly formidable set pieces, including a built-to-scale version of the Colosseum in Malta. But for Mescal, the most intimidating prospect by far was going head-to-head with Denzel Washington on-set.
“I built it up in my head. I was like, ‘Okay, today’s the day that Denzel’s going to be on set.’ And I was so incapacitated by it that I suddenly was like, ‘This is so f*cking stupid. I have a job to do.’ ”
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A formidable force in both the acting and directing worlds, it’s no wonder Mescal felt nervous about working with Washington. For his part, however, Washington seemed not to register Mescal’s nerves, stating, “It’s easy to work off of him because he’s giving you something.”
“There’s a quiet dignity and a strength and intelligence that he has, even just when he’s standing there.”
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The historical epic sequel will be even “bigger, rawer, and more violent” than its predecessor.
With so much hype surrounding Washington’s appearance and Mescal’s performance in Gladiator 2, it’s hard to imagine that the film won’t be a hit. In an interview with Empire earlier this year, Washington recalled his initial reluctance to join the project before ultimately being convinced by director Ridley Scott. “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley,” explained Washington. “We had a great go-round the first go-round and here we are. He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration. We should all want to feel like that at 86.” If Gladiator 2 is promising enough to convince industry legend Denzel Washington, it’s certain to be a crowd pleaser.
Scott has also now discussed plans for a third Gladiator film, potentially transforming the blockbuster duo into a full-fledged franchise. However, the likeliness of a third installment depends almost solely on the second film’s performance in theaters. For fans who want to see a continuation of the franchise, it will be essential to give Gladiator 2 a strong reception in theaters on opening weekend.