Irish actor Paul Mescal revealed that he was cast in Gladiator II after a 30-minute Zoom call.
Mescal made this comment on The Graham Norton Show, set to air Friday on BBC One. The 28-year-old stars alongside Denzel Washington in the sequel to Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, released 24 years after the original film.
This is Mescal’s first major Hollywood role following his rapid rise to fame for his breakout performance in BBC’s 2020 adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People.
Discussing how he secured the role, Mescal told Norton, “Ridley doesn’t waste time – I thought there would be camera tests and auditions, but we just Zoomed for half an hour. We spent 10 minutes talking about the role, and then 20 minutes chatting about Gaelic football, his dog, and his wife.”
“I expected more, but he called a few weeks later to offer me the part. I think he just follows his instincts, both on set and off, and I’m very glad that’s how it went.”
After Normal People, Mescal starred alongside Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter, Emily Watson in God’s Creatures, and received acclaim for the father-daughter drama Aftersun.
Gladiator was a global success in 2000, grossing $460 million worldwide and winning five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe.
Discussions of a sequel or prequel began in 2001 but stalled. Scott noted that Crowe wanted to return, despite his character being dead, hoping to introduce a fantastical element in the follow-up.
In the sequel, Mescal plays the grandson of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, portrayed by Richard Harris in the first film, who was killed by his son Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Crowe’s character also met his end at Phoenix’s character’s hands by the film's conclusion.
Crowe has voiced discomfort with a sequel in which he doesn’t appear. In an interview on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast, Crowe said, “I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact that they’re making another one, you know? Because of course, I’m dead, and I have no say in what gets done.”
“A few things I’ve heard made me think: ‘No, no, no. That’s not in the moral journey of that particular character.’ But, you know, I can’t say anything. That’s not my place. I’m six feet under. So we’ll see what that is like.”
Fans of Gladiator eagerly await the highly anticipated sequel, set to release at the end of November, marking the return of renowned director Ridley Scott nearly 24 years after the original film’s release in 2000.
Variety magazine shared first impressions from the film's special screening held in Los Angeles, with critics confirming that the film is expected to surprise audiences upon release. It’s projected to earn multiple nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards, including “Best Supporting Actor” for the legendary Denzel Washington and “Best Director” for Ridley Scott, who has yet to win an Oscar, fueling hopes for a potential win this time.
The report highlighted numerous positive reviews from critics and industry experts, praising the film as “epic,” with intense action scenes, fierce character conflicts, and stunning visual effects that enhance the storytelling.
Recently, Ridley Scott mentioned in press interviews that he’s already working on a third installment of the Gladiator series and has finalized the plot for the new film, although there’s been no official announcement regarding the cast or release date.
https://trailer.best/movie/gladiator-ii-2024/
Gladiator II follows Lucius, the son of Maximus, continuing his father’s journey from the first film on his quest for revenge. Denzel Washington plays a weapons dealer who witnesses numerous gladiatorial games in Rome’s Colosseum, alongside actors Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, who clash with one another in fierce battles.
Notably, Scott recently produced the horror-thriller Alien: Romulus, which achieved significant success, grossing $350 million worldwide from a production budget of only $80 million.