Paramount Pictures recently released several photos for Ridley Scott’S Gladiator IIwhich features a first look at all the main characters in the film. These come from Vanity Fair which also offers plenty of details on the story and characters.
The images are characterized Paul Mescal like Lucio, Connie Nielsen returned as Lucilla, Denzel Washington like Macrinus, Fred Hechinger like the emperor Caracalla, Joseph Quinn like the emperor Geta, and Peter Pascal like Marco Acacius.
The story takes place years after Maximus gave his life, overthrowing the leadership of the decadent and corrupt society. The sequel focuses on Lucius, son of Lucilla and grandson of Commodus, son of the Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who murdered his father and seized the throne.
Commodus met his downfall in the gladiatorial arena against Maximus, who despite being mortally wounded, defeated the emperor before moving on to reunite with his family. Maximus had saved Lucius and his mother, leaving a lasting impact on the young boy.
It is explained that “decades passed and Lucius came of age away from his mother. When he was still a child, Lucilla sent him to the northern coast of Africa, to a region called Numidia that was (at that point) just outside the reach of the Roman Empire.
“She never fully understood why, and as she grew stronger, so did her resentment, even though her mother’s reasons were pure.” Nielson said: “There’s a lot of Sophie’s choice here, where we’re dealing with impossible situations that we’re forced to deal with.”
He adds: “There is an authoritarian power that parades as if it were still somehow the vestige of a republican government. Inside this farce there are human beings who are trapped in this game and power.
“That’s what I always find so interesting about Ridley’s stories. He really shows the effect of power on people and what happens in a place where power is unbridled.”
Mescal also spoke about the story, saying, “What humans will do to survive, but also what humans will do to win. We see it in the arena, but also in the political struggle that is taking place outside of my character’s storyline, where you see that there are other characters who are fighting and pulling for power.
“Where is the room for humanity? Where is the room for love, for family connection? And ultimately, will these things overcome this kind of greed and power? These things are often directly in conflict with each other.”
Scott reveals that Gladiator II begins with Lucius of Mescal living a peaceful life with his wife and son until the conquerors of his homeland begin invading. Scott says, “The film opens with the Roman fleet raiding party, coming in from the sea and decimating Numidia. It’s pretty ferocious.”
The director says: “He has put down roots in a coastal city in Numidia. He is a blue-eyed, pale-skinned, red-haired man, and he couldn’t be more different from the inhabitants. It’s one of the last surviving civilizations, as the Romans begin to descend into North Africa and conquer it.”
Leading this charge is Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, “a Roman general who is said to have been trained as a junior officer by Crowe’s character, though he did not appear in the first film.”
Pascal spoke about his character, saying, “This film has an identity that is shaped by his legacy. It wouldn’t make sense for him not to be.” He goes on to describe Acacius as a fighter who “learned from the best, so obviously that code of honor is ingrained in his training and his existence.
“But at the end of the day, he’s a different person. And that can’t change who he is. Maximus is Maximus, and that can’t be replicated. That makes Acacius capable of different things.”
Lucius eventually finds himself a prisoner and taken to Rome, where he has to fight in the Colosseum. Scott explains how it unfolds: “The problem is that when he arrives in Rome as a prisoner and has the first round in the arena, he sees his mother, much to his shock.
“He doesn’t know whether she’s alive or not. How would he know? There are no phones. There’s no press. And there’s his mother in the royal box looking pretty good after 20 years. And she’s the general he came face to face with on the wall in Numidia.”
Lucilla does not recognize Lucio in the Colosseum as her son and has no idea of the bloody history between him and the man she loves.
Nielsen says, “She’s a woman who’s suffered a tremendous loss, and in the midst of all that, a gift that is Pedro Pascal. What a gift that man is. Even to act, to work with, I absolutely adore him, and he’s so perfect for this role. He’s one of those rare actors who really has heart, soul, and at the same time this incredible gift of transformation.”
As you might imagine, the story ends with Lucio and Acacius clashing again, and Lucio is ready to fight against everything and everyone.
Mescal says, “It’s a very ‘angry boy’ drama in that sense. He can see the way that Roma has sort of fallen into herself. Roma represents all the personal neglect that he felt as a child.
“Suddenly he finds himself catapulted back into that world and finds himself in proximity to all the things he thinks he hates and no longer feels connected to.”
As for the other characters in the story, Denzel Washington He plays a power broker named Macrinus, described by Scott as “an arms dealer who supplies food to armies in Europe, supplies wine and oil, produces steel, spears, guns, cannons and catapults.”
“So he’s a very rich man. Instead of having a stable of racehorses, he has a stable of gladiators,” Scott says. “He’s beautiful. He drives a gold Ferrari. I bought him a gold-plated chariot.”
Then, there is Fred Hechinger (Telma) like the emperor Caracalla and Joseph Quinn (Stranger things) like Emperor Geta. They play two sadistic brothers who rule the empire.
Scott says that these two boys threaten Lucilla’s well-being as a means of controlling Acacius. “They’re using her as a little leverage if necessary. Caracalla and Geta are twins and are definitely damaged goods from birth.”
Mescal continued to talk about his character’s motivation, saying, “He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the image of Rome. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it other than tearing it apart initially. The Romans were wild, savage individuals.
“They went from continent to continent and destroyed communities and nations. The film doesn’t shy away from the kind of brutality of it all, and the emperors at the center of it all, and this kind of corrupt power that it sees through.
“There’s a wonderful clarity about him. He’s not afraid of the establishment in a way that makes him dangerous to the establishment.”
The film will hit theaters on November 22nd!
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by Joey Fear
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
