Paul Mescal To Enter The Coliseum For Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' Sequel

The classic 2000 Best Picture winner "Gladiator" is an all-time classic, and it appears Hollywood just can't leave it alone. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ridley Scott ("House of Gucci," "Alien," "Blade Runner") is gearing up a sequel to his classic sword and sandals feature, and it looks like he already has a star in mind with Paul Mescal, per The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the report, the Emmy Award-nominated actor, Mescal, is in negotiations to play the lead in Scott's "Gladiator" sequel, which has been in development for a while. The planned sequel would reportedly center around the character of Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen's character Lucilla in the first movie, and the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix's Emperor Commodus.

Actor Spencer Treat Clark ("Unbreakable," "Glass") portrayed the role of Lucius in the 2000 original film. The classic epic tale starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a noble Roman soldier who is betrayed by the Emperor's son, Commodus, who has his Maximus' family slaughtered. Maximus is then sold into bondage and becomes a gladiator, seeking retribution against the Roman Empire.

David Scarpa, who previously collaborated with Scott for "All the Money in the World" and the upcoming Napoleon Bonaparte feature is writing the script. Scott is producing the feature with Michael Pruss under his Scott Free banner, with Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher producing the project for Red Wagon Entertainment. THR notes that Scott is also attached to direct the sequel.

The project is currently set up at Paramount Pictures. The first film was co-produced by DreamWorks and Universal Pictures, with DreamWorks releasing the film stateside, and Universal handling overseas distribution. According to THR, Universal still has the option to co-produce the sequel once it's packaged (Meaning putting together all the necessary elements for a film project together before it gets the studio's a green light or put to financiers).

The first film was a smash hit when it was released, earning critical acclaim and grossing $187 million at the domestic box office and $460 million worldwide. The film was later nominated for 12 Academy Awards, taking home five, including Best Actor for Crowe and Best Picture. It was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

Scott's next film is the upcoming "Napoleon," starring "Gladiator's" Phoenix as the legendary military commander and political leader. The film also stars Vanessa Kirby, Ben Miles, and Ludivine Sagnier. It's currently in the works with Apple Studios as an Apple TV+ original film. The period biopic drama is due out for release later on.

If Mescal signs on, it would be his first major studio role. Mescal has been earning a lot of acclaim for his roles in "Normal People," "The Lost Daughter," and "Aftersun." He won a BAFTA award for his performance in "Normal People," and he was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in 2020.

It's almost hard to believe the original "Gladiator" came out almost 22 years ago. It was an iconic and highly influential film for its time and launched Crowe into superstardom after he had some acclaimed acting roles in films such as "LA Confidential" and "The Insider." The idea of a sequel is an interesting one considering the original film had a fairly conclusive ending that didn't particularly set up a follow-up, but the reported premise does involve a now adult Lucius, who formed a bond with Crowe's Maximus in the first film.