Culture news “This story had to be told”: 24 years later, this Gladiator star is back in Ridley Scott’s sequel
Gladiator 2 is now a reality well underway: details are starting to accumulate around this sequel which is due to be released this year. One of the key actresses from the first film will notably return to the poster.
The return of the peplum
Although Ridley Scott cut his teeth in pure science fiction with Alien – a theme he never really left behind since behind Blade Runner, Prometheus or Alien Covenant – the English director is a fan of historical films: we owe him in particular Gladiator, an absolutely cult peplum released in 2000telling the dramatic story of Roman general Maximus Decimus, deposed and imprisoned after a violent conspiracy against the ruling regime.
Five-star casting led by a sparkling Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix (and not only that), legendary music by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, scenes brilliantly directed by Scott and his team: Gladiator is a great classic of the Seventh Art. He has won forty-five awards including five Oscars. and, even today, we like to repeat certain lines engraved in our memories: its sequel will arrive this year and, slowly, the excitement is starting to build.
A story that needed to be told
Obviously, touching a film like Gladiator by giving it a sequel is risky. Ridley Scott will still be directing and will extend the story around Lucius, Lucilla’s child in the first filmwho was then played by Spencer Treat Clark. The plot will take place twenty-four years after the events of Gladiator and to play the adult version of the character, Paul Mescal was chosen.
The very recent news is therefore the confirmation of the return of Lucilla in the film: for once, it is still Connie Nielsen who will play the character! And very recently, the actress gave an interview to ComicBook: according to her, Gladiator 2 is extremely ambitious… and even necessary for the story of Gladiator.
I didn’t know what to expect when the story started, and when you look at the previous story, it was almost inevitable. Of course we had to tell this story.
She also talks about her experience on set, for which she is full of praise:
It was incredible. Ridley has assembled an incredible cast as always and the film is a magnificent spectacle that touches your heart. As always with him, you have to use superlatives.
A tailor-made sequel for Gladiator fans? According to her, it will be possible. We should not wait long to receive a first trailer since this sequel is expected on November 20, 2024 in our French cinemas!
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