More often than not, sequels take just a few years to follow after their predecessors, but it’s also become increasingly common for sequels to be made decades later. Gladiator 2 falls into the latter category, with the original Ridley Scott-led movie being released in 2000 and ending with Maximus Decimus Meridius. So naturally Russell Crowe won’t be appearing in this follow-up tale, but it’s been revealed that a key character will be back, and the production is also lining up a Stranger Things star.
First up, Connie Nielsen has closed her deal to reprise Lucilla in Gladiator 2. In the original movie, along with being Maximus’ lover and sister of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, she was also the mother of Lucius Verus, who at the time was played by Spencer Treat Clark. With Lucius now being played by Paul Mescal and serving the sequel’s main protagonist, it makes sense that Nielsen is being brought back. In recent years, Nielsen as played Queen Hippolyta in various DC movies and starred opposite Bob Odenkirk in Nobody, and her other upcoming movies include Role Play and Caste.
Deadline also shared that Joseph Quinn, who delivered his breakout performance as the doomed Eddie Munson in Stranger Things Season 4 last year (which you can view/revisit with a Netflix subscription), is in negotiations to play Emperor Caracalla in Gladiator 2. Quinn’s other credits include Game of Thrones, Les Misérables (the 2018 miniseries) and Overlord, and he’ll appear next year in A Quiet Place: Day One, which just screened exclusive footage at CinemaCon.
Russell Crowe Is Not Entertained, Reacts To Gladiator 2 Filming Without Him
Connie Nielsen and (hopefully) Joseph Quinn join a cast that also includes Eternals and The Banshees of Inisherin’s Barry Keoghan, as well as reunites Denzel Washington with Ridley Scott, as they previously worked together on American Gangster. While Keoghan is expected to play Publius Septimius Geta, who co-ruled the Roman Empire with his brother Caracalla from 209-211 AD, it hasn’t been disclosed yet who Washington is playing. While no specific plot details have been officially disclosed, Russell Crowe has said it will chronicle Lucius Verus becoming emperor of Rome.
Along with Ridley Scott once again sitting back in the director’s chair, David Scarpa wrote the script, and the sequel is also bringing back behind-the-scenes Gladiator vets John Mathieson as director of photography, Arthur Max as production designer and Janty Yates as costume designer. Gladiator was a massive hit in 2000, propelling Russell Crowe to worldwide fame and earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Additionally, it won Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, and was nominated in seven other categories. Whether or not Gladiator 2 will reach such critically acclaimed heights remains to be seen, but so far the cast is shaping up nicely.
Gladiator 2 is slated to hit theaters on November 22, 2024. If you’d like to watch Gladiator, it can currently be streamed if you’re subscribed to Paramount+ with a Showtime add-on. If you’re curious about the feature films coming out later this year, then look through the lineup of 2023 new movie releases.
