Paul Mescal in Negotiations to Star in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator 2’

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Paul Mescal is heading to ancient Rome! This week several outlets reported that the 26-year-old is in negotiations to take on the lead role in the sequel Gladiator. The academy award-winning film was released in 2000 and was directed by Ridley Scott.

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For the sequel, Mescal is expected to play Lucius, who is the son of Lucilla, portrayed by Connie Nielsen, according to Deadline. The character is said to be Commodus’ (Joaquin Phoenix) nephew,  who was portrayed as a young boy by Spencer Treat Clark in the original movie.

Mezcal is reportedly one of the first actors to meet Scott, now 85, for the role after the script was finalized back in November 2020. Deadline stated that Mezcal was “Scott’s top choice” for the part after they had initially met.

Paul Mescal on Normal People

Although Deadline is reporting that Mezal’s deal with the film is not yet finalized, negotiations have made it clear the movie indeed is happening over two decades. This after the original film was released, which starred Russell Crowe.

Screenwriter David Scarpa, who has worked with Scott before, wrote the script for the sequel, according to the Hollywood Reporter. News of Gladiator 2 dates back several years ago. Back in May 2020, Nielsen spoke with Entertainment Weekly saying that she heard from film producers about making the sequel saying that the timing was “just a question of which film is coming first in Ridley’s very tight schedule.”

The original 2000 film follows Crow’s Maxim, who is the Roman general cast out by a son Commodus after he murders his father, takes the throne, and has Maximus’ family killed. Maximus then spends the film fighting as enslaved Gladiator through the Roman Empire as he works his way to get revenge on Commodus. 

Mezcal recently made headlines after his breakout role in Normal People as well as a 2022 film God’s Creature and After Sun, the latter earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the upcoming 2023 Critics Choice Award.

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