Paramount Pictures just released the new Gladiator II trailer and…Holy Shit. We have just one word for it…EPIC. Now, we all know that most of the time a trailer is used to hype up a bad movie. However, in this case, it’s just the opposite, especially with Ridley Scott behind it. We’ve been fans of Scott since the the 1979 Alien. From Blade Runner, Prometheus, American Gangster and The Martian, Scott has a good track record for movies.
What is Gladiator II about?
In the first film, Gladiator, Commodus (portrayed wonderfully by Joaquin Phoenix) comes to power after killing his father Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He is angry because his father chooses the Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe) as his predecessor. Refusing to support Commodus as emperor, he flees the country only to become a gladiator in Rome. He uses this to plan his revenge with the help of Lucilla (Connie Neilsen), his former lover and Commodus’s sister. She has her own reasons to dethrone her brother because he wants her to give him an heir which puts her son Lucius in danger. As grandson to Marcus Aurelius, he has every right to the throne. Maximus exacts his revenge and joins his family in the afterlife.
Now 20 years later in Gladiator II, Lucius (Paul Mescal) has not been seen for the last 15 years. With no connection with his mother, he lives quiet life with his wife and child until he becomes a prisoner of the Roman army. Inspired by heroism of Maximus, he follows in his footsteps and becomes a gladiator. Similar to Maximus, Lucius has the same feelings towards the the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome. With the help of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a gladiator power broker, they both plan to topple Emperors Caracall (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). However, it seems that Macrinus may have his own plans. But they must stop General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) first.
With the release of the new trailer, the action has been taken to the next level. As depicted in the first film, we’ve heard the stories of animals in the Colosseum pitted against gladiators such as lions and bears. As seen in the trailer below, the new film features shark infested waters and a man riding in on a rhino. Additionally, the battle scenes look epic. Mostly, we’re excited to see Denzel Washington’s character Macrinus. He seems to have an ulterior motive which can make this a great political thriller was well. His character reminds us of his character Alonzo in Training Day. All in all, it looks good. Too bad we have to wait until later this year to see it as it arrives in theaters on November 22, 2024.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for some Roman action, you can watch the new limited series, Those About To Die on Peacock and the original Gladiator on Paramount+.
