First Look At Gladiator II
A first look at the upcoming film, Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, has fans anxiously waiting for its release on November 22, 2024. Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal—two current Hollywood heartthrobs and leading roles in the film—are pictured dressed in iron armor, ferociously dueling one another in the Colosseum. Actors such as Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Fred Hechinger are also pictured dressed in their respective roles garments.
The film was announced in 2018, but it wasn’t until January of 2023 when Mescal was offered the leading role, Lucius. The Irish actor first captured the attention and hearts of viewers in the 2020 Hulu series Normal People, playing alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones. Since then, Mescal has landed roles in some very successful and recognizable films such as All of Us Strangers, Aftersun, and The Lost Daughter.
The Last of Us and Narcos star, Pedro Pascal, is another actor whose fans are anxiously waiting to see how he performs as Marcus Acacius, “a Roman general said to have trained as a junior officer under Crowe’s character,” in the film. Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou, and Barry Keoghan are just a few amongst the many talented actors that make up this impressive cast.
Shot mainly in Malta and parts of Morocco, the set construction is nothing short of an exact replication of Ancient Roman times. An amphitheatre being one of the most impressive and intricate structures which has, “been constructed in a half-circle, complete with seating in the stands and vast statues lining the walls.” Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, it wasn’t until early December of 2023 when they resumed filming in Malta.
Now, as Gladiator II has wrapped this past January, and with the recent reveal of a first look, fans eagerly wait for the film’s release in November. This cinematic action-packed film is expected to have major box-office success and be nothing short of amazing.
Featured Image: Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, shot by Lauren Smetana