The group is chanting. The twin emperors of Rome are thirsty for blood. Step again into the coliseum, girls and gents, it’s time for wonderful fight.

After a bunch of teaser photos and previews have been launched over the previous few weeks, the primary trailer for Gladiator II is out this morning and it’s completely gorgeous. I’ve not been this hyped for a film about Rome because the first trailer for the unique Gladiator dropped practically 25 years in the past. (I’ve truly bought that movie in 4K Blu-ray format to observe once more for the primary time in years earlier than the sequel comes out).

The sequel to Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix’s epic historic drama picks up years after the primary film, and follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew to the primary movie’s villain, Commodus (Phoenix).

Lucius was a boy in that movie, performed by Spencer Deal with Clark. His mom shipped him off to Africa and out of Rome’s clutches, however he has returned within the sequel as a gladiator the place he meets the highly effective and scheming Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and Normal Marcus Acacius, who as soon as served below Normal Maximus (Crowe).

Right here’s the trailer:

This seems each bit as epic and grand as the primary movie, with an much more star-studded forged. Mescal, a younger Irish actor, is the least well-known among the many leads however director Ridley Scott grew to become a fan of his after watching Regular Folks. Apparently the 2 solely spoke for half an hour earlier than Scott determined to forged him. Mescal additionally starred in Aftersun, which obtained rave evaluations and only in the near past landed on Netflix.

In response to an interview with Self-importance Honest, Pascal discovered the battles within the film a problem to movie. “It’s brutal, man. I name him Brick Wall Paul,” he stated of his co-star. “He bought so robust. I might slightly be thrown from a constructing than must combat him once more. To go up in opposition to anyone that match and that gifted and that a lot youthful…. Outdoors of Ridley being a complete genius, Paul is a giant motive as to why I might put my poor physique by means of that have.”

Mescal stated he didn’t wish to practice to appear like an underwear mannequin, specializing in combat choreography as a substitute: “I simply needed to be large and robust and appear like anyone who could cause a bit of injury,” he instructed Self-importance Honest.

Nielsen, who reprises her function as Lucilla, stated of Pascal, “What a present that man is. Even to play with, to work with, I simply completely love him, and he’s so good for this function. He’s a type of uncommon actors who actually has coronary heart, soul, and on the similar time this unimaginable present of transformation.”

Rounding out the forged are Fred Hechinger (Thelma) as Emperor Caracalla and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Issues) as Emperor Geta. The 2 come off as slightly unhinged within the trailer.

For his half, Scott says this sequel means an awesome deal to him particularly after giving up the prospect to direct so lots of his different classics. “I imply, I ought to have accomplished the sequels to Alien and to Blade Runner. You alter over time. At the moment, I didn’t wish to undergo it once more.” James Cameron ended up directing the sequel to Alien and Dune director, Denis Villeneuve, directed Blade Runner 2049. Again within the 80s, as a newcomer, “I used to be by no means instructed or requested. You possibly can think about I wasn’t completely happy.”

The one factor I’m not pleased with on this trailer is the bizarre inclusion of hip-hop music, which I can solely assume is a few advertising and marketing exec’s brilliant thought to attraction to the youthful demographic, loads of whom weren’t born when the unique got here out. It doesn’t work.

Gladiator II opens in theaters on November twenty second. Together with Deadpool & Wolverine, that is one in every of my most-anticipated movies within the again half of 2024.