2 weeks Ago By Mamta Raut
Normal People fame Paul Mescal essays lead protagonist Lucius in Gladiator II, the sequel that arrived in cinema over 24 years after its Oscar-winning original. The plot follows Mescal’s character, the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, living in the northern African Numidia, just outside the reach of the Roman Empire, until a heinous war brings him back to his homeland as a Gladiator. Paul Mescal beautifully blended honour and brutishness in his titular combatant, maintaining a tough demeanour, and he was very persuasive as the leader of gladiators in the Colosseum.
But not many know Mescal wasn’t the first choice to play the role. It was Timothée Chalamet. A report by The Hollywood Reporter suggests the Dune star was in director Ridley Scott’s mind and even Miles Teller for that matter.
But his perception changed after watching Mescal fronted Normal People, Scott could immediately imagine the 28-year-old fitting the role and the rest is now history. “I would’ve had a potential reticence around what the first big studio film was going to be, because it sets out your stall as an actor. [But] a film like Gladiator II is the dream in terms of studio, big-scale filmmaking because it’s in the hands of Ridley and rooted in human condition with a very clear emotional language,” Mescal said referring to his reaction to bagging the role.
And fans are loving it so much so that it has spawned the creation of a third Gladiator movie. The lead actor confirmed the development during the US premiere of the film. “Given the performance in the rest of the world that we’ve seen yesterday, there’s certainly going to be a Gladiator 3,” said Mescal.
However, he also added that the next film might not take viewers “back to the arena” as they know it. Instead, it will dive deeper into a more “political” sphere. Moreover, director Ridley Scott said, “Because it also becomes financial, and you'd be insane not to consider a third version.
” A post shared by Gladiator (@gladiatormovie) Besides Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Connie Nielsen play key roles in Gladiator II. ALSO READ| ‘Gladiator II’ review: Paul Mescal’s landing into the goliath shadow of Russell Crowe is brutal and entertaining.
