Gladiator 2 is expanding its already impressive cast: indeed, according to Deadline , Connie Nielsen has reached a deal to play Lucilla, while Joseph Quinn is in talks to play the film’s villain, Emperor Caracalla. So they should join Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington in the casting of the sequel to Gladiator, which is still being directed by Ridley Scott, which everyone keeps talking about.
Produced by, among others, Ridley Scott and Michael Prus (president of Scott Free Productions), the as-yet-untitled sequel will benefit from a script written by David Scarpa and tell the story of Lucius, Lucilla’s son. Ex-girlfriend of Maximus (played by Connie Nielsen in the original) and sister of Commodus.
Villain and main return
Joseph Quinn as a villain? This is intriguing! The young actor recently stole the show in Stranger Things season 4 with his now iconic role as Eddie Munson, so he would be well on his way to joining the blockbuster cast. After Stranger Things, Paramount quickly saw her talent and offered her the lead role in the A Quiet Place spin-off, A Quiet Place: Day One, which caused a sensation this week. Indeed, people close to the production said that the first images of the film surprised the producers, as well as the performance of the young actor with his partner in the feature film, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
As for Connie Nielsen, since many characters were killed off in the first installment, there weren’t many original actors to call upon. That’s why it was so important to Ridley Scott and the studio to have Connie Nielsen’s character back in this sequel and have the actress be a part of their plans from the beginning of development. In the first part, not only Connie Nielsen played the girlfriend of Maximus, but also the mother of Lucius, who now becomes the main character of this second opus. This mother-daughter relationship should be of great importance in the sequel’s story.
Gladiator 2 follows the 2000 blockbuster, which grossed more than $460 million at the worldwide box office and was nominated for 12 Oscars, including five wins for Best Picture. His role as Roman general-turned-gladiator Maximus changed Russell Crowe’s career, not only winning him a Best Actor Oscar, but also taking him to the top.
(Re)discover Gladiator is available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
