Denzel Washington in the ‘Gladiator’ sequel? A dream about to come true…
After their collaboration on American Gangster in 2007, Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington could find themselves. Indeed, according to Deadline and Variety, the actor is in final negotiations to join Gladiator 2, scheduled for November 22, 2024 in the United States. If the deal goes through, the legendary, two-time Oscar-winning comedian will join new Oscar nominees Paul Mescal, confirmed for the project, and Barry Keoghan, in talks to take part.
Produced, among others, by Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss (president of Scott Free Productions), the sequel, which has no title yet, will benefit from a screenplay written by David Scarpa and will tell the story of Lucius, the son of Lucilla, former lover of Maximus (played by Connie Nielsen in the original), and sister of Commodus. If we know that Paul Mescal will play Lucius, Barry Keoghan is in negotiations to play Emperor Geta. Denzel Washington’s role is being kept secret.
In 2000, Gladiator left its indelible mark on the world of cinema and was nominated 12 times for the Oscars, winning five – including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. Grossing $460 million at the box office, the original feature starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman soldier forced into slavery who swears revenge on the man responsible for his misfortune, the terrible Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix).
SCOTT AND WASHINGTON REUNITED
Among his recent projects, we could see Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth in 2022, a drama for which he received his ninth Oscar nomination as an actor – he received 10 in total, including one as producer for Fences. He will next be seen in the upcoming Equalizer 3, which hits theaters on August 30, 2023.
The news that the actor might be joining the Ridley Scott sequel comes as no surprise given the public and critical success of their first collaboration, American Gangster, which also starred Russell Crowe and grossed over $265 million. dollars at the box office, while also receiving Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations on the side.
Denzel Washington also appeared in several films directed by Ridley’s late brother, Tony Scott, before his death in 2012, including USS Alabama, Man on Fire, Deja Vu, Attack on Subway 123 and Unstoppable.
While waiting to find out more and to be able to discover its role in this long-awaited sequel, the first Gladiator can be seen streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.