Paul Mescal in talks to lead Gladiator sequel

Fess up, you’ve all the time questioned what Paul Mescal would seem like in a toga. Wish granted!

Mescal, in accordance with Deadline, is at present in negotiations to headline Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel.

Twenty-three years after the Russell Crowe epic stormed the field workplace and the awards circuit, and after years of rumours that Scott was circling a follow-up, the sequel is predicted to enter manufacturing later this 12 months. UK press reported filming areas in Morocco has been earmarked.

Scott, 85, is predicted to direct once more and can be producing by means of his Scott Free firm, whereas Gladiator costume designer Janty Yates and manufacturing designer Arthur Max are additionally slated to return.

The story is about a long time after the occasions of the primary movie and can centre on the character of Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen’s character Lucilla. The character is the younger boy Crowe’s Maximus saved from his uncle Commodus.

According to Deadline, the ultimate script was delivered in November and Mescal quickly emerged because the frontrunner for the lead.

Mescal broke out within the TV drama Normal People, for which the Irish actor received a BAFTA award and was nominated for an Emmy. Since then he has starred within the movies The Lost Daughter alongside Olivia Colman and present awards season contender Aftersun, a semi-biographical story from filmmaker Charlotte Wells.

Mescal may also be within the upcoming musical Carmen from Benjamin Millepied, and which was filmed in Australia in 2021. He is at present onstage in London in A Streetcar Named Desire, enjoying Stanley Kowalski.

The authentic Gladiator netted $US460 million on the field workplace and a string of accolades together with the Oscar Best Picture.

In 2021, whereas selling House of Gucci, Scott confirmed the script had been written. He advised Deadline, “It’s already been written. We have a good footprint, a good, logical place to go. You can’t just do another Gladiator-type movie. You’ve got to follow … there are enough components from the first one to pick up the ball and continue it.”

The screenplay is by David Scarpa, who additionally wrote the script for an additional upcoming Scott challenge, Napoleon, which reunites Scott with Gladiator star Joaquin Phoenix. Napoleon may also characteristic Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles and Ludivine Sagnier. It will probably be launched on Apple TV+.

Scott’s most up-to-date works have been House of Gucci and The Last Duel. The latter was a field workplace flop, main Scott accountable younger folks.

He advised Marc Maron, “I think what it boils down to – what’ve got today [are] audiences who were brought up on these f**king cell phones. The [millennials] do not ever want to be taught anything unless you are told it on the cell phone”.