Denzel Washington will reunite with his American Gangster director, Ridley Scott, to play a “bada**” role in the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator.
According DeadlineThe 68-year-old two-time Oscar winner, who skipped this year’s Academy Awards to attend an NBA game with Spike Lee, is in final talks to co-star opposite Paul Mescal, 27, in the epic sequel to the 2001 Best Picture winner.
The reunion between Washington and Scott, 85, comes nearly 16 years after they made American Gangster, which earned rave reviews and grossed $266 million worldwide.
Sources revealed to Deadline that Scott and the higher-ups at Paramount heavily courted Washington for the role, which is being kept under wraps.
The Equalizer star was reportedly won over by the script and the “bad role” the Alien filmmaker had written with him in mind.
Epic reunion: Denzel Washington, 68, will reunite with his American Gangster director, Ridley Scott, 85, to play a ‘bada**’ role in the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator.
Killer role: Sources revealed to Deadline that Scott and the higher-ups at Paramount heavily courted Washington for the role, which is being kept under wraps (Russell Crowe pictured in original 2000 blockbuster)
The original blockbuster starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general who becomes the eponymous gladiator after being sentenced to slavery by the corrupt Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
Crowe and Phoenix won’t be returning for the sequel, as both characters die in the events of the first movie, so the follow-up will revolve around Lucius, Commodus’ nephew.
Mescal, who recently earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in Aftersun, is slated to play the role of Lucius.
Mescal reportedly won the coveted role after competing with virtually every young leading man in Hollywood, cementing his rise to the A-list.
And Washington’s involvement follows reports that another recent Oscar nominee, Barry Keoghan, 30, is in talks to play the role of a Roman emperor, according to the hollywood reporter.
The Irish actor’s acclaimed role in The Banshees Of Inisherin earned him a Best Supporting Actor nod at the Academy Awards last weekend, and he’s been seen in blockbusters ranging from Eternals to The Batman.
The Original Gladiator was a huge critical and commercial success, grossing $503 million worldwide and winning five Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Crowe, launching him as a major lead.
Scott was also nominated for Best Director, while Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Their previous collaboration: The Washington and Scott Reunion comes nearly 16 years after they made American Gangster, which earned rave reviews and grossed $266 million worldwide (Washington appears in the 2007 crime drama).
Washington’s new co-star: Paul Mescal, 27, who earned an Oscar nomination for Aftersun, is slated to play the central role of Lucius. Mescal reportedly won the coveted role after competing with virtually every young star in Hollywood, cementing his rise to the A-list.
Won him over: The Equalizer star was reportedly won over by the script and the ‘bada** role’ the Alien filmmaker had written with him in mind.
Scott is collaborating on the film with screenwriter David Scarpa, with whom he previously worked on such films as All The Money In the World and the upcoming Napoleon Bonaparte film.
He’s also working with some key members of the original film crew, including costume designer Janty Yates, cinematographer John Mathieson and production designer Arthur Max.
Paramount is producing the film with Universal, scheduling the prestige project for a November 22, 2024 release.
And the Gladiator epics are hot properties this year, as Scott’s sequel goes head-to-head with a TV drama called Those Who Die starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.