Ridley Scott has made some pretty damn good movies (that’s probably an understatement), but he’s already placing Gladiator II among his very best. The long-belated sequel returns to Ancient Rome and the blood-soaked delights of the Colosseum, and although the first movie likely didn’t need a follow-up, it’s never wise to bet against Scott.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever made,” Scott told Empire before correcting himself. “One of the best things. I’ve made a few good ‘uns.” Will Gladiator II find its place among the ranks of Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and the original Gladiator? Time will tell, but at the very least, I’m certain the film is going to be a good time. “It’s full-bore, brutal action,” Scott teased.

Paul Mescal, who stars as Lucius, said that the Gladiator sequel gave him a chance to break into action territory. “I had always had a kind of latent ambition to do something that was more muscular and physical,” he said. “From a selfish side of things, I wanted to surprise an audience, because I knew that I have this kind of role within me. When this came up, I was like, ‘This is something that I don’t think anybody who’s seen the work that I’ve done previously will be expecting,’ and it’s Ridley Scott.” In addition to Mescal, Gladiator II stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Derek Jacobi.

“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome,” reads the official Gladiator II synopsis. “Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul 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.“

Gladiator II is set to hit theaters on November 11th, the same day as Wicked, which has some hoping that we’ve got Barbenheimer 2.0 on our hands, including Mescal. “Wickdiator doesn’t really roll off the tongue does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked if it has a similar effect to what it did for Barbie and Oppenheimer,” Mescal said. “It would be amazing ’cause I think the films couldn’t be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend.“

Do you think Gladiator II has a chance of being a top-tier Ridley Scott movie?

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