New Gladiator 2 Trailer Confirms Russell Crowe’s Mind Blowing Connection to Paul Mescal’s Lucius
- Paul Mescal's Lucius and Russell Crowe's Maximus are connected in the upcoming Gladiator II.
- Paul Mescal says he knew about Lucius and Maximus' connection after his initial talks with Ridley Scott.
- Russell Crowe says there is a tinge of jealousy and melancholy when he thinks about Gladiator.
Directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott, Gladiator II is one of the highly anticipated movies of 2024. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington, and more, Gladiator 2 is the sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and more.
The upcoming movie is set years after the events of Gladiator and the audience will see Lucius as an adult living in the northern African region of Numidia. Some events bring Lucius back to Rome, and he is forced into slavery on the orders of General Marcus Acacius. Inspired by the story of Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator. The newly released trailer of the upcoming movie clarifies the relationship between Lucius and Maximus.
Paul Mescal’s Lucius has a deep connection with Russell Crowe’s Maximums from Gladiator
Ridley Scott’s upcoming movie Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, has already created the buzz amongst fans. 2000’s Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, was a massive success upon release and was highly praised for its performances, direction, production design, and more. Crowe’s performance earned him an Oscar for Best Actor.
Gladiator II’s new trailer was recently released, and it has been clear that Mescal’s Lucius is the son of Crowe’s Maximus. Lucius’ mother, Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen, tells her son before he goes into the battlefield at the Colosseum;
Lucius, take your father’s strength. His name was Maximus. And I see him in you.
The scene cuts to Maximus’ name carved into the wall, and Lucius touches it before he goes out for the battle. The seeds of Maximus and Lucilla’s relationship were sown in the original movie, as it was known that they were lovers and had shared a special moment in the movie.
In his interview with EW, Paul Mescal revealed that he knew that Lucius was related to Maximus when he spoke to Scott. He added;
He mentioned it in the talk, but then it’s an affronting thing to see it written on the page and to have that responsibility fall on your shoulders is interesting.
Upon asking about his first reaction to the news, he said he was shocked, adding that the legacy of his character did not change the approach he had towards Lucius. Mescal noted that his character had a very different journey from Maximus, and he was hoping that whatever DNA Lucius has, a little bit of physical gesture was going to be a part of the performance. The Irish actor mentioned that he simply tried to figure out who Lucius was and what differences he and Maximus had.
The trailer goes on to feature the motivation of Washington’s character, which will be very interesting to watch on-screen.
Ridley Scott has his eyes set on the third installment of Gladiator
During an interview with Premiere in France, the filmmaker shared that he is already playing with the idea of Gladiator 3. Scott explained via Collider, that the end of Gladiator II will remind the audience of the Godfather. According to the filmmaker, the third installment of Gladiator will center around a man who does not want to be where he is. It can be compared to how Michael Corleone found himself doing a job he did not want.
Mescal also shared his views on returning for the third installment, stating that he is waiting to see what happens with the sequel. He, however, clarified that he’d be interested in returning for the part, but the story has to hold together.
Back in August, during his conversation with Empire Magazine, Ridley Scott shared that the sequel to Gladiator is one of the best things he’s ever made. He also shared that the upcoming movie is going to have the biggest action sequence he has ever produced or directed. Reportedly bigger than Napoleon.
Where Scott is planning to make a third installment, Crowe was not pleased with the idea of a sequel. In an interview with Collider, he was asked about his thoughts on the sequel, to which he said,
I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact that they’re making another—because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done.
The actor mentioned that there are some aspects of direction that he finds troubling, quickly adding that he cannot say anything because it’s not his place. The actor also admits that there is a tinge of melancholy and jealousy that he feels when he thinks about the sequel of Gladiator.
Gladiator II is scheduled for release on November 22, 2024.
