'Gladiator 2' Trailer Is Awesome But May Have Spoiled Too Much
A new trailer for the upcoming Gladiator 2 movie is hoping fans answer the original film's classic question, "Are you not entertained?!" with a resounding "YES" as loud as the Colosseum crowd.
The over 3-minute trailer gives movie fans their biggest insight yet as to what they can expect with Director Ridley Scott's return to Rome in the followup to his 2000 smash hit ‘Gladiator.’ The only problem is that the trailer may give a little too much detail as it appears to be edited in timeline order, perhaps spoiling how the story will play out. Not only that, but the fact that the sheer length of 3 minutes these days can come across as an eternity on social media, some are worried that, in an attempt to prove its worthiness, the film went over the top with this morning's trailer.
Regardless, the trailer itself looks AWESOME and although sequels rarely live up to the hype of the original, from this preview alone, I don't think Paramount Pictures will have any difficulty generating enough buzz to recoup their $250-$300 million budget. God knows the box office needs it, with not one film grossing $100 million in tis opening weekend leading into Memorial Day.
Let's delve into the film itself.
GLADIATOR 2 TAKES PLACE 20 YEARS AFTER ORIGINAL
Fans will immediately notice that the storyline continues just 20 years after the first one ended.
The official synopsis of the Gladiator sequel reads:
"From legendary director Ridley Scott, ‘Gladiator II’ continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."
Some old familiar faces return to the screen - Connie Wilson will once again play Roman Emperor Commodus (played byr Joaquin Phoenix in the original) and sister Lucilla. Her son Lucius - who we last saw running around the Coliseum as a young boy emulating his uncle Commodus, while also taking a particular liking to ‘The Spaniard,' Maximus Decimus Meridius who was played by Russel Crowe, will be the central focus of Gladiator 2.
THE EFFECTS LOOK GREAT
Irish actor Paul Mescal will take up the incredibly difficult task of trying to live up to the performance that Russel Crowe put forth in the original film - a role that landed him the Oscar for Best Lead Actor.
Mescal's task may be as difficult as a slave trying to fight his way through a gauntlet of gladiators in ancient Roman times, but at least he will have some help from some iconic actors like Denzel Washington as well as supporting cast members like Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn and Pedro Pascal,
You can be sure that the CGI is going to go WILD in this movie and be downright incredible. At one point in the trailer they add water to one of the arenas, and it looks absolutely crazy, not to mention what I suspect will be some pretty bloody fight scenes.
PRESSURE'S ON FOR LEAD PAUL MESCAL
"I can’t tell you how stressed I am talking about that film in particular, because it’s definitely the biggest one I’ve done," Mescal told Esquire in an interview about the upcoming film. "I feel really excited, but, like, it’s difficult to get away from the legacy of the film a bit. I think it’s really well written, and it pays homage to the first one, but it’s very much something that I think I can step into and make comfortably my own."
Fans will be able to decide for themselves when the movie hits theaters November 22nd - right before the Thanksgiving holiday week.
Only instead of one Roman Emperor giving the thumbs up or thumbs down on the film's fate, millions of moviegoers will.
ARE YOU EXCITED FOR GLADIATOR 2? WILL IT HIT OR BE A MISS? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow with your thoughts!