Pedro Pascal, known for his roles in “The Last of Us” and “Star Wars: The Mandalorian,” has officially secured his next major project. Recent reports reveal that Pascal is currently in final negotiations to join Paramount’s highly-anticipated sequel to “Gladiator.” The specific character Pascal would portray in the Ridley Scott-directed drama remains undisclosed. Pascal would join an already impressive cast including Paul Mescal as Lucius, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Production for “Gladiator 2” is set to commence this summer..
Pascal’s current career situation sees a temporary pause for his two prominent onscreen characters: Joel Miller in “The Last of Us” and Din Djarin / The Mandalorian in “The Mandalorian.” According to reports, production for the second season of “The Last of Us” is still several months away, while “The Mandalorian” is actively in development for a potential fourth season but hasn’t received an official renewal yet.
What is Gladiator 2 about?
In the upcoming sequel to “Gladiator,” Paul Mescal will take on the role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla. Lucius is the nephew of Commodus, the treacherous son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius, who plotted his father’s murder, claimed the throne, and eventually faced Maximus in the gladiator arena. Maximus, despite being fatally wounded, managed to defeat the emperor before passing away and reuniting with his deceased wife and son. In the process, Maximus saved Lucius and his mother, leaving a lasting impact on the young boy.
“I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life,” original Gladiator star Russell Crowe explained in an interview earlier this year. “It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible. Here it is, it’s 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don’t always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart.”
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