Speaking to Alex Zane on the red carpet before the BAFTA Film Awards, Irish actor Paul Mescal shared his experiences working on the sequel to the 2000 epic historical drama, ‘Gladiator.
During the conversation, Mescal described his involvement in ‘Gladiator 2’ as ‘unbelievable’ and expressed immense pride in the project, which sees as Lucius, the nephew of Commodus:
“It was unbelievable, an absolute honor. Ridley [Scott] is the king, especially in that format and that kind of scale of film. I’m incredibly excited and proud of the work that we did together. Now it’s just waiting on bated breath.”
Mescal Will Fight Baboons In the Film
Besides his excitement about the project, Mescal also revealed an interesting scene involving his character fighting baboons, a detail confirmed by Scott himself:
“Well, Ridley said that I fight baboons, so I’m not going to get in trouble for that. So yeah! Unless it’s on the cutting room floor.”
You can watch the rest of the conversation below.
Paul Mescal talking about Gladiator 2… I REPEAT PAUL MESCAL TALKING ABOUT GLADIATOR 2 #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/iATijGURZi
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 18, 2024
Ridley Scott Chose Mescal For His Role in ‘Normal People’
Paul Mescal was chosen for the part of Lucius in a casting decision that Ridley Scott attributes to the actor’s performance in ‘Normal People.’ Mescal’s casting was confirmed in January 2023, and by his own account, filming has already wrapped up, with the actor humorously noting on The Graham Norton Show that he ‘survived it:’
“I finished yesterday. I survived it… Somebody’s going to assassinate me right now if I say anything further.”
The announcement of ‘Gladiator 2‘ comes after two decades of speculation and development. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is set to introduce fans to a new chapter in the saga on November 22, 2024, distributed by Paramount Pictures in the United States and by Universal Pictures internationally.
Apart from Mescal, ‘Gladiator 2’ has a cast including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role as Lucilla. The sequel also sees Joseph Quinn in discussions for the role of Emperor Caracalla.
