Normal People‘s Paul Mescal to star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2
Mescal will star as a grown-up version of Joaquin Phoenix's nephew Lucius from the 2000 Best Picture winner
Aux News ridley scott![Normal People‘s Paul Mescal to star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2](https://img.pastemagazine.com/wp-content/avuploads/2023/01/15000757/45744b09ea5ccf1ed1e6c06a20c705a1.jpg)
Paul Mescal is gearing up to ask if we are not, in fact, entertained, with Deadline reporting today that the Irish actor has been cast in the starring role in Ridley Scott’s long-promised sequel to his 2000 Best Picture winner Gladiator. Mescal will take on the starring role of the adult Lucius (played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original movie), who will presumably have to give up his fancy “nephew of the now dead emperor” lifestyle in order to to live up to the example that Russell Crowe’s general-turned-gladiator Maximus set in the original movie.
As we all remember, that film ended with Maximus successfully killing the deranged emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and restoring the Roman Republic, which flourishes across much of Europe to this day. [Note to editors: Check to see whether this actually happened.] It also ended with Crowe suddenly becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, pretty much overnight, including winning an Oscar for the job—hence why the competition for the lead role in Gladia2r (our title, not Scott’s) has reportedly been so fierce. Other actors pursuing the part reportedly included Miles Teller, Austin Butler, Richard Madden, and Timothée Chalamet, although Mescal has apparently the frontrunner from early on.
Although he came up in the Irish theater scene, Mescal came to the attention of international audiences for his starring role in BBC Three and Hulu’s Normal People, playing one half of the show’s central romantic pairing. His other recent credits include last year’s Aftersun and God’s Creatures. None of which are, you know, swords and sandal historical epics with a lot of elaborate swordplay, but we guess that’s what rehearsal (and extensive muscle-building regimens like the one Crowe underwent back in the day) are for.
33 Comments
The only Gladiator 2 I’ll accept is the one written by Nick Cave about Maximus’ afterlife.
Didn’t it start with his afterlife, before transitioning into him being sent back to earth and then just gladiatoring throughout history?
But why, though?
Probably something to do with making money.
1. Gladiators
2.
3. Profit
Because gladiator movies fucking rock.
Thank you…I’m Peter Graves.
Somebody’s monkey paw wish to end the era of superhero movies has ushered in the age of legacyquels. I hope that person is proud of themselves when we’re all sitting through Mrs. Doubtfire 2 and The Seventh Sense.
uhhh… it’s called Mrs DoubtWATERAnd it’s a prequel!
It’s earth before fire, learn your bending cycle. Earth (spring), fire (summer), air (autumn) and water (winter). Unless the prequels are two part
Heh, Yeah I really need to get around to watching that show. This was a Bobs Burgers reference though.
No the prequal would be called Mrs Doubtspark.
As The Boss told us “Can’t start a fire without a spark.”
No, that was Bon Jovi!
No, that was Bon Jovi!
Surewater.
I can’t imagine how this will be any good. Is Ridley so desperate for a hit movie?
The first one was a perfectly fine “historical” action movie not worthy of any major, non-technical, awards and in no need of a sequel.
If Nitro, Turbo, and Gemini aren’t in it, I don’t care.
Canadian Gladiators:
Garth, Moose and Eh?.
It’s too bad that James Cameron has gone all in on Avatar sequels because if history is any indicator Gladiators would be an awesome movie.
You know Cameron: he’d have to crowbar the gladiators into some kind of giant body of water somehow.
His record on sequels with pluralized titles is second to none
I can’t believe that this started with Nick Cave’s crazy script for a sequel about Maximus resurrecting as an immortal warrior and battling through history up until the Bush administration and ended up as a movie about Lucius doing a gladiator. Psh. Cowards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casca_(series)
2 Gladiator 2 FuriousGladiator: OriginsThe GladiatorGladiator Two: Electric Boogaloo
Gladiator ReturnsRise of GladiatorGladiator: AfterlifeGladiator IIGladiator Part Deux
Madiator
We’re all glad you ate ‘er, too!
They’ve been talking about this Lucius sequel for roughly twenty years. I’ll believe it when I see it.
well he’s very good in aftersun at least!
Normal People’s Paul Mescal to star in Ridley Scott’s 2 Normal Gladiators
Also starring Kat Dennings
Gladiator: The ReckoningI was always skeptical of the various Gladiator sequel rumors and pitches/scripts that never went anywhere, but this actually sounds cool now. This guy is kind of perfect for the role and now he gets to become a huge celebrity yayyy