Ridley Scott has “lit the fuse” for GLADIATOR III with the return of Paul Mescal

Ridley Scott is trying to continue the Gladiator franchise with a third film, and has already “lit the fuse” for the next chapter in its historical epic.

Gladiator II It hasn’t been released yet, but in an interview with French film magazine Première, the director shared his plans for Gladiator III and compared franchising with The Godfather.

He explained: “With this, I’m already toying with the idea of ​​’Gladiator III.’ No, seriously! I’ve lit the fuse. […] The ending of “Gladiator II” is reminiscent of “The Godfather,” with Michael Corleone finding himself in a job he didn’t want and asking, “Now, Father, what do I do?” So next [‘Gladiator’ film] It will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”

Scott has already spoken with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal as the actor confirmed that the director has already talked to him about the idea.

In another interview with Première, Mescal said: “Yes, Ridley told me about it, but only yesterday! So I’m waiting to see what happens, but I’m interested, of course. But we can’t rush anything. The story has to hold up.”

Now, obviously a third Gladiator film will only be made if the next sequel is a box office success. There seems to be a lot of excitement about Gladiator IIso I’m pretty sure the movie will make money.

The sequel 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.

“Gladiator II begins with Lucius of Mescal living a peaceful life with his wife and son until the conquerors of his homeland begin to invade. Scott says, “The film begins with the Roman fleet raiding party, coming in from the sea and decimating Numidia. It’s pretty gritty.”

Lucius eventually finds himself a prisoner and taken to Rome, where he has to fight in the Colosseum. Scott explains how it all unfolds: “The problem is, when he gets to Rome as a prisoner and has his first round in the arena, he sees his mother, much to his shock.”

The film also stars Connie Nielsen like Lucilla, Denzel Washington like Macrinus, Fred Hechinger like the emperor Caracalla, Joseph Quinn like the emperor Geta, and Peter Pascal like Marco Acacius.

The synopsis reads: “Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue and revenge set in ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome with an iron fist.

“With anger in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past for the strength and honor to restore Rome’s glory to his people.”

The film will be released in theaters on November 22.

Via /Film