Director and Star Confirm 'Gladiator 3' is Already in the Works

Photo : AP

Ridley Scott’s long-awaited Gladiator sequel is already a big success, even before it opens in the U.S. The movie has made $87 million worldwide since it was released in other countries last week. People are saying good things about the film. The movie will open in U.S. theaters this Friday.

The sequel, Gladiator II, stars Paul Mescal, known for his role in Normal People. He plays Lucius, the son of Maximus, the character Russell Crowe played in the first Gladiator. In the sequel, Lucius has to survive in a world full of fighting, lies, and betrayal. The movie starts with Lucius being sent away by his mother to stay safe from death in Rome. While in North Africa, he tries to protect his new home from Roman soldiers. He is caught and brought back to Rome, where he must fight in the Colosseum to take revenge on General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal.

Ridley Scott has already said that there will probably be a third Gladiator film. “With how well it’s doing in other countries, we will definitely see a ‘Gladiator III,’” Scott said at the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles on Monday. “It also makes good business sense, and it would be silly not to think about a third movie,” he added. Scott, who is 86 years old, is famous for making many popular movies like Blade Runner and Thelma & Louise.

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The story in Gladiator II was made to leave room for more films, so the story of Lucius isn’t finished yet. “We always planned to leave the story open for another movie,” Scott explained.

In the movie, Lucius faces dangerous animals, like baboons, rhinos, and sharks, as well as humans he has to fight. The movie gets even more intense when Lucius is forced to fight in the Colosseum. Denzel Washington also plays a character named Macrinus, who is clever and flashy. People are already talking about his performance for an Oscar.

Connie Nielsen also returns as Lucilla, Lucius’s mother, a role she played in the first Gladiator. Washington joked about his costume, saying, “Jewelry, sandals, and everything – I just looked like a Roman pimp… I couldn’t wear enough rings.”

The movie also looks at power and politics. Paul Mescal is excited about coming back for another movie. "When I last spoke to Ridley, he had nine pages of ideas for the next movie. Yesterday, he had 14," Mescal said. "I would like it if the next movie took a more political turn, with Lucius caught up in court politics, like Michael Corleone in The Godfather.”

Ridley Scott said the themes of the second movie are just like the first one. "The themes are the same. A rich man thinks he can take over the empire. Does that sound familiar?" Scott said, talking about powerful people like former U.S. President Donald Trump. "We don’t learn from history. We keep making the same mistakes. Right now, we are seeing the same things happen in many parts of the world," he added.

With the movie making good money and plans for more films, the Gladiator story will keep going, showing revenge, politics, and power in a way that keeps people interested for many years