GLADIATOR SEQUEL | RIDLEY SCOTT / PARAMOUNT

[Sassafras]

Ah well... I love me some swords and sandals epics, but this sounds a bit silly.
Will just have to wait and see.
I mean, having such an amazing wealth of history and (for historical figures from 2000 years ago) information of actual historical figures and events, why make up crap? Why not try to tell the story of Gaius Julius Caesar, or Pompeii Magnus or Hannibal Barca, or Vercingetorix on the big screen?

We have J-lo blowing 20 million on a narcissist fever dream that the 'net is having a field day with (no didn't watch it, heard about it). The Alien sequels/prequels or whatever with little xenos popping out of the grass that could only be described as "cute". Rumors of a "female Jack Sparrow" or some *&^%. Then there was the history re-write of Cleopatra...and on and on.

One could imagine that with the recent demands of Hollywood writers that the last 10 years or so would have been a platinum age of entertainment; that viewers would have risen as one to decry these underpaid craftspeople instead of not even noticing there was a strike going on.

A few fading sparks of brightness like John Wick and Sandman...but "no, My Lord Aragorn. We are alone." Original, well researched writing and productions have become as rare as, as, getting a burger, fries, and drink for under 10$.

 

[Mondragon]

Apologies for edit bump:

I will see you again but not yet...not yet.

Well he has to die for that happen I guess. Though might be the last scene of the film?
Surprised there was no mention of Hounsou (Juba) in the CinemaCon footage?
Hopefully Juba is not still condemned to the arena. and we do get a hint he was in fact free and reunited with his "living" family (unlike Maximus), he has got a whole implied adventure ahead of him.

Yes I go for that too.

Curious what his role will be?

Like many I'm conflicted, though still morbidly curious; CG armored rhinos, naval arena battles, killer sharks, and fighting war monkeys, might all normally tempting draws in a movie.
Yet here I don't want an overblown spectalce sequel to take away or impact what was otherwise a perfect end to the original.

If nothing else hope at least the original gets (an almost 25th anniversary) re-release in theaters, out of this.

 

[Mondragon]

Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR was released 24 years ago today.

 

[Remembermyname]

" My Name is Maximus Decimus Meridius"

 

[chrisstbh]

 

[Mondragon]

View attachment 710927View attachment 710928View attachment 710929View attachment 710930

Denzel Washington’s Macrinus is an arms dealer who lives lavishly and keeps a stable of gladiators for sport.

Pedro Pascal’s Roman general Acacius is “a man in deep regret with his life and doesn’t know where to go with it,” says director Ridley Scott.

Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, a Roman general said to have trained as a junior officer under Crowe’s character, ...This is one of the threads the filmmakers created to link the sequel with Maximus.

Connie Nielsen returns as Lucilla, the mother of Lucius, who was just a boy in the first movie. “Lucilla really only had one weakness, and that is her child,” Nielsen says.

Mescal is Lucius, last seen as the young son of Lucilla, Connie Nielsen’s noblewoman from the original movie
As Gladiator II picks up her story, decades have passed and Lucius has come of age far away from his mother. While 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. He never fully understood why, and as he grew stronger, so did his resentment—even if his mother’s reasons had been pure.

Likely if Lucius was next in line to the throne, by way of Lucilla (or Maximus), he was sent away to protect him?
Also still no indication of Djimon Hounsou's character Juba, who I imagine got to return home to his family.
I'm guessing that is who Lucius was sent to live amongst in Numidia.
And now general Acacius (Pascal) is sent to brutally repress it.
Thus Lucius ends up captured and in the arena.

Lucius, once the grandson of the emperor of Rome, finds himself a prisoner of it.

Actually seems a pretty decent set up.

The first trailer for Gladiator II will drop July 9.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

Have to admit, kinda sick of the sight of Pedro Pascal.

 

[Rotfish]

View attachment 710930

"AAH! GHOST SWORD!"

I so hope this becomes a meme.

 

[chrisstbh]

Have to admit, kinda sick of the sight of Pedro Pascal.

He's a great actor with a ton of range, not surprising a lot of projects want him.

 

[greygoose]

Have to admit, kinda sick of the sight of Pedro Pascal.

I kinda agree however I think he will prove to have been the right choice for this film. He looks the part.

 

[Mondragon]

He's a great actor with a ton of range, not surprising a lot of projects want him.

...I think he will prove to have been the right choice for this film. He looks the part.

Agree, if he captures the role well enough I don't care that he's also in Last of Us or FF. or anything else for that matter . I can separate them all easily enough.

Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, a Roman general said to have trained as a junior officer under Crowe’s character, ....This is one of the threads the filmmakers created to link the sequel with Maximus.

Actually reads pretty well for that character.
And if some of Maximus' officers were also Hispano/Romanos, would make sense, as the Iberian cultures were some of the primary assimilated to the concept of romanitas.

Lucilla .....has no idea about the bloody history between him and the man she loves. “She’s a woman who has had a huge loss, and in the middle of that, a gift that is Pedro Pascal,” Nielsen says. “What a gift that guy is. Even to play with, to work with, I just absolutely love him, and he’s so perfect for this role. He is one of those rare actors who really has heart, soul, and at the same time this incredible gift of transformation.”

Also Pascal is not even the lead. Paul Mescal is as well as Connie Nielsen who caries over from the previous.
Though it does appear to be a pretty interesting role, seems he's caught between them, Lucilla (loyalty to her and Rome), and her Son.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

He's a great actor with a ton of range, not surprising a lot of projects want him.

I'm not saying he's not a good actor, he is. I'm just beyond bored of his face.

 

[Mondragon]

I'm not saying he's not a good actor, he is. I'm just beyond bored of his face.

Hence...

They could still put him in a helmet for a large part of the film

Sic Est Via

 

[abake]

Are they going with those silly leather cuirasses again? Not much evidence for that, is there? Ah well, it's a silly Hollywood movie. Ridley Scott asking if anybody was there or just shut up
Also, Numidia had been a province of Rome for quite a while by then. Just such simple stuff that you can easily look up... I suppose there'll be some subtext about the powerful black kingdom defying Rome.

 

[jye4ever]

PP is fine for this.

But for RR hell no.

 

[Mondragon]

Also, Numidia had been a province of Rome for quite a while by then. Just such simple stuff that you can easily look up...

Seems the film set-up is acknowledging that, hence Lucilla sent Lucius to live there, or at least some vaguley implied outskirts.
(Maybe where Juba is from)
Numidia had plenty of ongoing conflict vying for control, devision, shifting of boarders, and power, well into the time period, Where the Roman Empire might send troops under Pascal’s general Acacius, and consequentially capture Lucius. (which I believe is the set-up?)

I suppose there'll be some subtext about the powerful black kingdom defying Rome.

No doubt the "correct" or not, ethnicity being depicted there (essentially ancient berbers), will become a trigger point in the social-outrage-sphere.

But yeah nobody should be looking at these films for geography or history lesson, why would you.

 

[abake]

I mentioned it because it says Numidia is "just outside the reach on the Empire" in the quote, which isn't the case if Numidia is actually a part of the Empire.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Well hopefully it won't suck. Loved the first movie of course, but of course it's all obvious "Hollywood history" so yeah. Marcus Aurelius died at 58, not a very old man like that. Scott didn't write it, this is how I get hope. If he sticks to directing mostly things can be good, he gets involved with the writing too much and I lose hope. Denzel I would think wouldn't choose to be in crap.

 

[Mondragon]

Yeah for this I don't care that much if the costumes the names and geography all precisely match everything in the real world. (I know going in they don't).

Just hope he's got a good story and characters to tell it with again.
Gladiator worked (for me) because behind all the grandiose spectacle and brutality, was about a guy who sincerely wants nothing more than to just be with his family.
†ragicly the only way left for him to get what he wants, is to die doing what they want.
Also brutal.

While he can likely up the spectacle, not sure you can ever get to that character again.

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Speaking of, hopefully (if nothing else from this) we do get a theatrical re-relase of the original, which I would go back to theaters to see.

And maybe another shot at a figure - https://www.collectorfreaks.com/thr...-collector-figure.173752/page-8#post-10528121
Big-chief or someone else ....

 

[Mondragon]

It looks like Lucius(Mescal) does wear the unique Maximus twin horse cuirass (given to him by Proximo).
He likely remembers it and the *horses from their first meeting.

*(fun fact Latin: Silver & Trigger)

I guess I never realized they add icons of his wife and son.

And then an angel

So there are three versions of it?