Hollywood Oscar voters who’ve seen Gladiator 2 are already singling out Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington’s performances for praise.
A glossy feature in Vanity Fair, complete with official photographs of its stars in costume, marks the official start of Gladiator 2’s marketing campaign. The sword and sandal sequel isn’t out until November, but with a reported budget of $300m, Ridley Scott’s epic will need to get some momentum behind it – especially as it’s now sharing multiplexes with Wicked.
The early word on Gladiator 2 is that it’s extremely good, though – perhaps even Oscar-worthy. A report on Deadline, in which columnist Pete Hammond wrote his findings from a dinner with Oscar voters, suggests that Ridley Scott’s sequel could be just as lauded by the Academy as the 2000 original, which starred Russell Crowe.
Paul Mescal, who plays the lead, Lucius, is described as “terrific” by an unnamed “producer-financier” and Academy member, while Denzel Washington – who plays a wealthy arms dealer named Macrinus – is also described as “extraordinary.”
The original Gladiator was both a financial and critical hit, with five Oscar wins: it won a golden statue for Best Picture while Russell Crowe walked away with the gong for Best Actor. It was also nominated in seven further categories, including Best Director for Ridley Scott; given he’s never won an Oscar over his 40-plus year career, it’s a wonder whether he’ll finally get one if Gladiator 2 is as impressive as the early gossip suggests.
This isn’t the first time Gladiator 2 has been lauded in early screenings, either. In April, a 160-minute cut was shown to an audience in Las Vegas, and the response was that the movie was ‘thrilling’. Washington and Connie Nielsen – the latter playing Lucius’ mother, reprising her role from the first movie – were also described as standouts.
That April screening came before the production geared back up again for some June reshoots which took place in a field somewhere in Sussex.
Will Gladiator 2 live up to all this early praise? Here’s hoping. If nothing else, all the talk of gory arena fights featuring baboons and sharks suggests we’re in for something properly cinematic.
Gladiator 2 is in cinemas on the 22nd November 2024.