More than twenty years after its theatrical release, Gladiator prepares to return to the big screen. The sequel to the film that marked the history of cinema, taking home five Academy Awards, will once again be directed by Ridley Scott but will not see the presence of Russel Crowe, interpreter of the iconic Massimo Decimo Meridio. That’s when it will be released in theaters.
The sequel to Gladiator will be released in 2024
Paramount Pictures has announced that Gladiator 2 will hit theaters on November 22, 2024. The casting for the leading role has not yet concluded, but according to the latest rumors, the very young Paul Mescal could be the frontrunner for the final choice. The actor should play the role of Lucio Vero, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). In the film with Russell Crowe the character of Lucio was only a child who in the end is struck by the courage and history of Massimo Decimo Meridio. At the moment there are no further details on the plot, but according to the statements of the producer Walter F. Parkes the sequel should be set 25 years after the events narrated in the first film.
Upon its release Gladiator it grossed $460 million at the box office, went on to win five Academy Awards including best picture, and became the project that launched Russell Crowe into the Hollywood stratosphere. The screenplay for the sequel will be written by David Scarpa, who will be working with Ridley Scott on the biopic centered on Napoleon Bonaparte. In the new Gladiator film there won’t be room for Russell Crowe’s Massimo Decimo Meridio given the ending of the first in which he collapses to the ground after knocking out the emperor.
