The main cast for the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator takes shape after the final hiring rounds by renowned director Ridley Scott and his casting crew.
deadline reports that May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah and Matt Lucas are among the actors recently hired to star in the as-yet-untitled film set some 30 years after the original storyline starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. play.
Additionally, Fred Hechinger could be coming on board soon, as he and his team are currently in talks to play Emperor Geta, after Barry Keoghan had to pull himself out of the race for the unspecified role due to scheduling conflicts.
The new cast members join an ensemble that already included Irish actor Paul Mescal, 27, in the lead role of Lucius, Lucilla’s son, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original 2000 film.
Like Jacobi, reprising his role as Gracchus, Nielson has been tapped to be one of the few legacy players returning to the cast, alongside other previously announced actors such as Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn.
Considered one of the best films of the 2000s, Gladiator was a huge hit with fans, earning over $503 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $103 million.
Most critics praised the production, particularly Crowe and Phoenix’s acting, which led to 12 Academy Award nominations, eventually winning five, including the coveted Oscar for Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.
In the wake of Gladiator’s success, Crowe would see his star rise to the top of nearly everyone’s A-list in Hollywood and beyond.
News of a sequel with Ridley Scott at the helm started spreading last year, which in turn caught the attention of male actors around the world who fit the profile.
Scott doubles as producer and director and is working from a script by David Scarpa, who is best known for writing The Last Castle (2001), The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008), All The Money In The World ( 2017) and the upcoming historical drama film Napoleon (2023) which is produced and directed by Scott and will be released in November.
Calamawy wanted to search thoroughly for the main main characters and finally got her part after several auditions.
Her breakout role came last year in Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight series, starring Oscar Isaac in the Disney+ series.
The Bahraini native, 36, is also known for her ongoing role in the Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy which also stars Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, Amr Waked, Dave Merheje and Mohammed Amer.
Back on board: Ridley Scott, 85, returns as producer and director of the as-yet-untitled Gladiator sequel; he is pictured on the set of the original film in 1999
Lead: The new cast joins an ensemble that already included Irish actor Paul Mescal, 27, in the lead role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original 2000 film
As for the other new hires, 51-year-old Raz is more recognizable to his fans in his native Israel through his role in the political thriller series Fauda (2015-present) and Hit & Run (2021).
Jacobi, 84, is an English actor with a long and storied career in film, television and theater dating back to 1959. He has received numerous awards over the decades, including a BAFTA, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, Two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony Award.
Mensah, 63, is a Ghanaian English actor with credits including Tears Of The Sun (2003), Hildago (2004), 300 (2006) and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
And Lucas, 49, rose to prominence as an actor with his roles in the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain (2003-2006) and Come Fly With Me (2010-2011), as well as films Alice In Wonderland (2010) and Bridesmaids (2011) .
Best known for his breakout role in season one of HBO’s The White Lotus, 24-year-old Hechinger made his screen debut in the coming-of-age dramedy Eighth Grade (2018) and also starred in the drama film Human Capital (2019).
Epic hit: After revealing he won’t be appearing in the sequel, Russell Crowe revealed on a podcast in January that the storyline takes place some 30 years after the original film; both Crowe and co-star Joaquin Phoenix were praised for their performances in the hit 2000 film, including a Best Actor Oscar for Crowe
Earlier this year, Russell Crowe confirmed he wouldn’t be appearing in the highly anticipated Gladiator sequel, but did drop a few hints about the plot after talking to Scott over dinner.
While he didn’t reveal much, he did reveal that the story revolves around Mescal’s character Lucius during an appearance on the Fitzy and Wippa podcast.
“If you remember, there was a young boy who wanted to beat the Gladiator, which led to the ‘My name is’ speech,” he said of the original film, adding, “So that young boy has grown up, and he is now the Emperor.’
He then summed things up by explaining: “So it’s not a remake. And it’s not a direct sequel. It’s not like the day after, you know, 30 years later or anything. And then the situation arises, you know.’
So far, there’s no official word on when the Gladiator sequel will begin doing principal photography.