The hype for Gladiator 2 is very real. The buzzy action film is set to star an all star cast that includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Paul Mescal, and is also bringing back faces from the original Gladiator film like Djimon Hounsou and Connie Nielsen. It’s been over 20 years since the first Gladiator, but that hasn’t dulled the passion for the follow up project. Nielsen recently opened up about the latest project from Ridley Scott and the “magnificent spectacle” that’s about to grace the silver screen.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, the Wonder Woman actress chatted about returning to her character Lucilla in the upcoming blockbuster, and what fans can expect from Gladiator 2. While she kept mum about plot details and the new characters being introduced into the Gladiator world, she did open up about the spectacle filmmaking involved. Clearly, Ridley Scott still has his magic touch, as Nielsen said:
I didn't know what to expect when the story started up, and in hindsight, it was almost inevitable -- of course we had to tell that story. It was incredible -- Ridley has put together an incredible cast as always, and a magnificent spectacle that is rooted in real heart. As always with him, you have to use superlatives.
The Blade Runner director just turned 86 years old, but he doesn’t seem to be holding back anytime soon. The auteur director has put out a number of films in the last few years, seemingly jumping from one large scale production to another. This past November, Scott released the Joaquin Phoenix-led Napoleon which featured massive battle sequences and elements of blockbuster filmmaking. If this tease from Nielsen is to be believed, the filmmaker will be bringing the same level of prowess to Gladiator 2, which is incredibly exciting for fans of the original 2000 film.
If Scott’s track record is to be believed, we can expect to see a lot of battle scenes in Gladiator 2, which is likely what Nielsen is referring to when she talks about spectacle. It’ll be tough to top Gladiator, and it’s memorable sequences like The Battle of Carthage or The Battle Against Germania, but if anyone would do it, it’s Ridley Scott. The upcoming film is expected to feature a time jump from the original film, so it’ll also be interesting to see how the new characters come into play, and what some of the returning ones have been up to in the aftermath of Gladiator’s events.
Even with such massive talent involved and a veteran director at the helm, the Gladiator 2 production hasn’t been without its challenges. Some crew members faced non-life threatening burns while on the Moroccan set, and production was shut down for a short period of time. While this wasn’t assumed to severely impact the production schedule, Gladiator 2 was one of the many productions shut down due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, however some production activities were able to continue. The film resumed production entirely after the work stoppage came to an end after four months. The film has still managed to maintain its November 2024 release date, so as of now, fans can expect to see Scott’s touted “magnificent spectacle” when it hits theaters ahead of Thanksgiving this year.
It may be several months before fans finally get to experience Gladiator 2 on the big screen, but in the meantime you can check out the original Gladiator featuring Connie Nielsen with a Paramount+ subscription. For more information about other exciting projects heading to cinemas and streaming this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.
