Gladiator 2 will feature some of the “greatest action sequences ever”

“Gladiator 2” was intended to be an epic from the start – at least according to Paramount.

The highly anticipated sequel, starring muscular Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, is an epic blockbuster for the ages and undoubtedly has the potential to be the box office release of the year.

Now, an extended cut of the highly anticipated sequel was unveiled on Wednesday at the CineEurope 2024 trade fair in Barcelona, ​​promising more action than most fans can handle.

“The wait was definitely worth it,” those responsible told the waiting press and announced that the film’s international release had been brought forward by a week to November 15th.

Of course, there is only one way to honor Ridley Scott’s return to ancient Rome after nearly 25 years… with a giant, fake cardboard Colosseum welcoming viewers into the auditorium.

And as a crowd of Roman legionaries lined the theater, Paramount boss Mark Viane announced that the film would feature the “greatest action sequences of all time.”

That’s quite a claim.

Just a few days earlier, former Gladiator star Russel Crowe had admitted that the idea of ​​a sequel made him “somewhat uncomfortable.”

Speaking to the US podcast Kyle Meredith With…, Crowe admitted: “I’m a little uncomfortable with the fact that they’re making another one, you know?

“Because of course I am dead and have no influence on what is done.”

“Mescal” will play the role of the grandson of Richard Harris’ Emperor Marcus Aurelius and is a sequel to the first film.

In it, the emperor was killed by his son, played by Joaquin Phoenix. In the sequel, Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles as Lucilla and Senator Gracchus, respectively.

Joseph Quinn also takes on the role of Emperor Caracalla and Pedro Pascal enters the arena as a former military commander.

Mescal was headhunted for the new role after Scott caught a glimpse of his talent while watching, er, hours of “Normal People.”

Well, that’s a relief. After all, he’s only human.

“Can I imagine Paul Mescal becoming as big as Russell Crowe? Absolutely,” Scott was asked by Full film in October 2023.

“I watched Normal People. It’s not my kind of show, but I watched four episodes in a row – boom, boom, boom. I thought, ‘Who the hell is this Paul Mescal guy?'” Scott admitted.

“And then I watched the whole series. And then suddenly Gladiator 2 came along because the script worked pretty well. And I kept thinking about Paul. And that was it.”

“Gladiator” will be in theaters on November 15th.

In the meantime, you can watch Russel Crowe’s original now on Netflix.