Paul Mescal ‘absolutely would love’ to do a third Gladiator
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Paul Mescal says he would “absolutely love” to do a third Gladiator film after director Ridley Scott teased that he could be looking to do a follow-up.
The highly-anticipated second instalment of the 2000 film Gladiator, which was originally fronted by Oscar-winner Russell Crowe as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, had its premiere in London at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square.
Stars of Gladiator II, including Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal, and the film’s director, Ridley, walked the red carpet ahead of the King, who had earlier hosted members of the film and TV industry at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
The event was held in aid of the Film and TV Charity, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The second film tells the story of Lucius Verus, who originally appeared in the film as a child and is now played by Mescal.
Lucius escaped capture after the fall of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in the original Oscar-winning movie and joined the fight against the Roman Empire’s expansion.
In the fight to defend his wife, Lucius is captured and placed into slavery by the forces of Marcus Acacius (Pascal) and subsequently becomes a gladiator after being bought by Macrinus (Washington), and seeks revenge.
Speaking to the PA news agency about Ridley considering a third Gladiator movie, Mescal said: “When the scripts are ready, I absolutely would love to be involved.”
When asked about the Irish premiere, and crowds welcoming him in front of his former university Trinity College Dublin last week, the 28-year-old Maynooth native said: “(It was) totally unexpected and incredibly warm, like this weird oasis in the middle of this international press tour where you go home and everybody’s phenomenally generous.”
Also on the red carpet, Mescal met his All Of Us Strangers co-star and fellow Irish actor Andrew Scott.
They both seemed delighted to be reunited and hugged for a long time.
Gladiator II also shows how Lucius’ mother Lucilla (Nielsen), from the first film, has since married Acacius.
She plots to overthrow joint emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Carcella (Fred Hechinger) to restore the Roman republic as former slave Macrinus schemes and Lucius faces trials in the Coliseum.