The cast of Gladiator II is absolutely stacked for obvious reasons. It sees the return of Connie Nielsen and a performance by Denzel Washington that folks are saying may have secured his third Oscar. But in what is perhaps a coincidental turn of events, the film also features the internet’s biggest heartthrobs Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, and the now-infamous lost take of the former kissing the latter on the forehead looks like it’s coming to VOD.
I recently spoke with the film's star and director in anticipation of Gladiator II's release, and to catch all of you up, Paul Mescal retold the humorous story of director Ridley Scott’s reaction to the improvised forehead kiss:
I didn't tell Ridley I was gonna do it. And then I was nervous after we did it because I thought he was going to fucking hate it. So I nervously go over the radio being like, ‘Ridley? Did you like the kiss on the forehead? Yay or nay?’ And there was this kind of, like, [static] ‘I’m afraid I did.’ So I don't know where it got lost in the edit, but I trust this man entirely, though. How he cuts his films.
Paul Mescal
It seems that Ridley Scott liked it, so what gives? Well, for one, Paul Mescal may be putting too much faith in the legendary director when it comes to this particular scene, because Scott himself told me that he doesn’t remember why the take didn’t make it into the final cut:
I can’t remember… I can’t remember. The director’s cut.
Ridley Scott
You have believe that Ridley Scott doesn’t remember where he set it down, as we’ve been reminded recently of his bluntness through such actions as making bold predictions in regard to Gladiator II and defending his choices against internet skeptics.
A film like this is pretty packed, and there must be a ton of footage to sift through in the edit, but thankfully this guy is famous for his director’s cuts! The Blade Runner Final Cut, after all, is considered by many to be the only true way to view the film. So if Ridley Scott tells us that the forehead kiss is going to make it to VOD, I, for one, will take him at his word.
There’s no need for fussing with that nonsense for now, as you should be running to your nearest theater to see Gladiator II when it’s released on November 22! If you’re going to watch Paul Mescal fight a rhinoceros for the first time, you should be doing so on the biggest screen possible. Critics are going nuts for the film, specifically the powerhouse and career-making performances, and I can confirm that this early chatter is indeed accurate.
You can see the video of this delightful exchange between Paul Mescal and Ridley Scott in the video at the top of this article. If you need a refresher on where the original Gladiator left off, you can check it out with a Paramount+ subscription. As for everything else in the way of news surrounding 2024’s new movie releases, keep it right here at CinemaBlend!
