Sir Ridley Scott has promised that Gladiator II will be “just as good” as the Oscar-winning first film.
The upcoming epic sees the 86-year-old director return to Roman times after 24 years, and Scott has assured fans of the 2000 original – in which Russell Crowe played General Maximus Decimus Meridius turned slave – that the blockbuster will not disappoint.
He told PEOPLE: “It’s as good as the first one. I didn’t say better, it’s just as good.”
The filmmaker had previously announced that the project – which stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn – features the “biggest action sequence” of Ridley’s entire career, even bigger than his 2023 historical drama “Napoleon.”
Speaking to Empire, he explained: “We start the film with probably the biggest action sequence I’ve ever done. (It’s) probably bigger than anything in ‘Napoleon.'”
While the director hypes the film, Mescal, 28, admitted he had hoped “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” could repeat the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon – which saw “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” dominate the box office last year – when both films hit theaters on Nov. 22.
Mescal told Entertainment Tonight: “Wickdiator doesn’t roll off the tongue that easily, does it? I think I would probably prefer Glicked if it had a similar impact to ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.'”
“That would be great because I think the films couldn’t be more opposite and in that context it has worked in the past. So we’re crossing our fingers that people will come and see both films on opening weekend.”
The Oscar nominee plays the role of Lucius Verus – the former heir to the Roman Empire who is forced into slavery – in the sequel and spoke about the challenges of getting in shape for the role.
The 28-year-old actor said: “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like someone who could do a bit of damage when the shit hits the fan.”
“I also think that in the pursuit of the perfect look, sometimes you end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.
“The muscles start to grow and that can be seen as aesthetic in some ways, but feeling physically strong is something completely different.
“You behave differently. It affects you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.”
