Gladiator II was finally released on Friday, racking up $55.5 million in North America ticket sales against a production investment of about $250 million.
Gladiator I hit the screens in 2000, winning 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. It took in $465 million worldwide, against an estimated budget of $103 million.
Gladiator II remains an epic historical drama with monumental battles and thrilling action scenes, except it takes place in a different era and has a new protagonist – Lucius Verus Aurelius (played by Paul Mescal) who is the grandson of Marcus Aurelius (a wise emperor in Gladiator I who mentored Maximus, played by Russell Crowe in an Oscar-winning performance). Lucius is the son of Maximus and Lucilla.
Occurring years after Maximus’ death in a corrupt Roman Empire, Lucius must avenge his family’s honor and restore Rome’s glory, just as his father did before him.
Irishman Paul Mescal plays the role of Lucius, beating out other contenders such as Timothee Chalamet and Miles Teller. The 28-year-old has a Bachelor’s degree in acting from Trinity College Dublin, after which he earned his stripes in theater and television, where he raised many eyebrows (including those of director Ridley Scott) for his role as student Connell Waldron in the miniseries Normal People.
“I tend to watch a lot of lower-budget movies to find out what’s doing down there and find out who’s coming up.” (Director Ridley Scott)
With several films already to his name, Mescal is an emerging actor, with Gladiator II his most ambitious performance yet. Mescal seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and is of the opinion that fans should not feel entitled to know about his personal life, which he says he has no intention of inviting them to access. How refreshing!
Denzel Washington plays a significant supporting role in Gladiator II as Macrinus. A seasoned Roman arms dealer, gladiator owner and businessman, Macrinus uses Lucius in his quest to take control of Rome. Now 70 years old, Washington also began his career in theater after earning a degree in drama and journalism at Fordham University. Like Mescal, he transitioned from a successful TV role (St. Elsewhere) to film … and never looked back.
Will we see another film by Ridley Scott? The highly productive and accomplished English director is 86 years old. His next project will be “The Dog Stars”, an apocalyptic thriller adapted from the 2012 debut novel by American Peter Heller, also starring Mescal.
“To stop me they’ll have to shoot me in the head.” (Director Ridley Scott)
Now that you’ve read today’s blog, why not take what you’ve learned and play today’s matching quiz on your Quizefy app? Many of the answers can be found right here. We publish an on-trend, hint-filled blog at www.quizefy.com every Tuesday, along with a matching quiz in your Quizefy app. We think they’re a great combination and a great way to Strut Your Smart.