A new trailer for the sequel to «Gladiator» has been released, which has brought viewers some important discoveries.
In one of the scenes, the video features the voice of Lucilla (Connie Nielson), the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, who reveals the name of his real father to Lucius (Paul Mescal) — and it turns out that it is Maximus (Russell Crowe) himself, who died in a confrontation with the previous tyrant emperor Commodus
Meskal himself in an interview Entertainment Weekly said that he was initially aware of this twist, which immediately changes the meaning of both films.
«Ridley Scott mentioned this during a conversation, and the fact that such a responsibility fell on our shoulders is — very interesting».
In the original «Gladiator», Maximus had his own family, which was brutally murdered by Commodus’ servants, but there were also hints of romantic feelings for Lucilla. The origin of Lucius did not receive much attention in the first film, so Ridley Scott took the chance to spin this story in the most interesting way possible.
In the sequel, the adult Lucius, like his father, is forced to enter the arena in the Colosseum after his home was destroyed by the new tyrant emperors (Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn). He is expected to face General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who allegedly studied under Maximus, among other strange opponents (rhinos and baboons). The movie also features Denzel Washington, who plays the boastful ruler Macrinus and Lucius’ mentor.
«Gladiator II» will be released in Ukrainian cinemas on November 14.
The sequel to «Gladiator» cost $300 million to make, and the first full trailer was heavily criticized by viewers (in particular, for using rap against the backdrop of gladiatorial battles in ancient Rome) and collected a record number of dislikes on YouTube. Subsequently, director Ridley Scott stated that considers «Gladiator II» the best movie of his career and even announced a threequel.