Is that the faint sound of a hand trailing through a field of wheat? No! It’s the bombastic sound of a brand new trailer for “Gladiator II.” Director Ridley Scott’s follow-up to his 2000 historical epic once again centers around the blood-stained sands of Rome’s Colosseum, and a vengeful warrior whose violence is entertainment for the masses.
In this sequel, Paul Mescal (“All of Us Strangers”) plays the now fully-grown Lucius, nephew to Joaquin Phoenix’s villainous emperor Commodus from the original film. Though he was once the heir to the throne of the Roman Empire, “Gladiator II” begins with Lucius living far away from the capital, having settled in the north African kingdom of Numidia. When his home is invaded by a Roman army, commanded by Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), Lucius finds himself back at the Colosseum — only this time he’s not in the stands as a spectator, but fighting in the arena as a gladiator.
The first trailer for “Gladiator II” teased epic battles featuring a war rhino, an arena filled with water, and more. And beyond the action setpieces, this new trailer answers a 24-year-old mystery about Lucius’ parentage. Though he was said to be the son of Lucilla’s (Connie Nielsen) late husband, Lucius Verus, many people have theorized that his real father was Russell Crowe’s Maximus. Turns out, that theory was correct.
