Gladiator 2 trailer release sees Paul Mescal battle in bloody arena in epic blockbuster sequel

The sequel is set decades after the original 2001 film with legendary director Sir Ridley Scott helming the story of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) who was sent into hiding in Numidia as a child.

Having grown up away from the dangers of Rome, Lucius has a family of his own with a beloved wife and child.

However, the arrival of a Roman army led by the general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) sees Lucius's home decimated and he is brought back to Rome as a prisoner of war and forced to fight as a gladiator in the arena - where he will be unexpectedly be faced with the mother who long thought him dead...

The trailer, set to a remix of Jay Z and Kanye West's No Church in the Wild and available above, also emphasises how, when in Rome, Lucius must also deal with multiple intriguing and powerful figures, including the twin rulers Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

The epic Gladiator 2 cast also includes Oscar-winner Denzel Washington as a wealthy arm and commodity dealer named Macrinus and Sir Derek Jacobi reprises his role as Senator Gracchus from the first film.

Speaking to Vanity Fair about the sequel, Sir Ridley said of Lucius's story: "When you’re a POW in Rome, if you are damaged, you are killed. If you are fit, you’ll get put into some kind of service, as in slavery, or you would go into the arena to die."

He adds: "The wrinkle is, when he gets to Rome as a prisoner and has a first round in the arena, he sees his mother—to his shock. He doesn’t know whether she’s alive or not. How would he know? You don’t have telephones. There’s no press. And there’s his mother in the royal box looking pretty good after 20 years. And she’s with the general who he came face-to-face with on the wall in Numidia."

It's safe to say there's a lot of drama on the way!

Gladiator II is released in UK cinemas on 15th November 2024.

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