As Adele once said: we could have had it all!
Gladiator 2 had been shaping up to be the greatest collection of film Twitter darlings since Greta Gerwig snagged Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges and Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird, but it looks like its race to the crown has hit a snag. After confirming a line-up of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Barry Keoghan, the sequel by Ridley Scott has just lost its resident little freak (lovingly), with Keoghan existing production due to scheduling conflicts.
The casting news had been coming in thick and fast for the follow-up to Russell Crowe's 2001 star-making vehicle, with Mescal's casting announced hot off the heels of his packed awards season. The Aftersun and Normal People star will be playing an older Lucius, the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus.
Despite the snag, it's a great time for cinema lovers who also happen to be the most online people imaginable. Here's everything else we know about Gladiator 2.
Who will be in the star-studded cast of Gladiator 2?
While Keoghan had more or less inked the deal on his turn in Gladiator 2, it's now been announced he no longer can be a part of the fold. He had been tipped to portray a fictional version of the real-life Roman Emperor Geta, the two-year ruler of Rome from 209 to 211 AD.
In the first film, the boy Lucius is next in line for the Roman throne, but is seen as a threat by Commodus who keeps him as all but a hostage. Lucius comes to deeply respect Russell Crowe's Maximus across the picture, and he's one of the first volunteers to carry away Maximus' body at the end of the picture. Clearly, he'd been set for some kind of antagonist role opposite Mescal's Lucius.
With Keoghan out, another star has stepped into his shoes in the shape of Fred Hechinger, known for his roles in the first season of The White Lotus as Quinn Mossbacher and Netflix's Fear Street trilogy as Isaac. If there's one thing you can never accuse Ridley Scott of, it's course-correcting fast on a sharp left turn.
Elsewhere, the casting waters are thankfully calmer. Pedro Pascal, star of The Last of Us, The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones, is in the mix in what is comfortably his most notable big-screen feature yet. Details are unknown as to his role, but we wouldn't be surprised if it marks a departure from his last notionally-period part as Thrones' hot-blooded Viper. (Fingers crossed his head remains intact this time.)
Adding another sweet to the pick'n'mix bag of internet boyfriends is Joseph Quinn, arguably the breakout star of the last season of Stranger Things. He's also set to take to the amphitheatre stage as Emperor Caracalla, the brother to Emperor Greta, now being played by Hechinger. Further, 16 years after they teamed up for the period crime epic American Gangster, the 68-year-old multi-Oscar-winner Denzel Washington looks set to once again team up with Ridley Scott on Gladiator 2. Deadline reports that Washington, notoriously picky, was won over by Scott's script and the “bad-ass role” the director had written for him. We're yet to find out more about his character, alas, with the details being kept under wraps.
In other casting news, Moon Knight's May Calamawy has been added to the mix in an as-yet-unnamed role, along with Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas (yes, that Matt Lucas) and Derek Jacobi.
He’s the character actor beloved by arthouse directors, whose brooding intensity has landed him coveted roles in cinema’s biggest franchises. But to really know Barry Keoghan – the year’s most compelling breakout star – you need to go off-grid
Softboi hours: closed
As for if any of the old guard will return? Well, not many of them survived. However, Connie Nielson, who played the mother of young Lucius, is rumoured to also be on board for the sequel.
What will be the plot for Gladiator 2?
It's all very much speculative at this point, with plot details being kept firmly under wraps. That said, with Mescal's older Lucius set to be in centre frame, we can presume that it'll in some way deal with the Roman throne — presumably the key conflict with Keoghan's Emperor Geta.
The first Gladiator, of course, saw Crowe's Maximus ascend the gladiatorial ranks en route to revenge for the murders of his wife and child. Where he'll come into the frame, if at all, is yet to be seen.
When will Gladiator 2 be released?
Gladiator 2 is currently set for release on 22 November 2024, prime territory for a big awards play. Scott hasn't had one of those in a while, but with such a mega cast and anticipation through the roof, it would hardly be a surprise to see his name engraved on a statuette or two come 2025.
