Paul Mescal explains Ridley Scott's directing style while filming Gladiator II: “It's super fast”

Gladiator II Star Paul Mescal explains Ridley Scott's unique directing style. Scott, who also directed the original gladiator Released in 2000, he returned to direct the long-awaited sequel which follows the journey of Lucius Verus (Mescal). In the next installment of the franchise's action-packed and historical spectacle Gladiator IIThe star-studded cast also includes Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal as General Marcus Acacius and Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role from the previous film as Lucius' mother Lucilla.

When talking to Screen rant, Mescal explained how Scott's fast-paced style differs from any other director he has worked with before. He compared Scott's directing style to the nature of sports and teased how this affected his performance as Lucius. Mescal also acknowledged that Scott has rightly become a legend in the entertainment industry, which helped Mescal deliver a performance unlike anything he has achieved so far in his career. Check out Mescal's comments below:

I've never worked with anyone like him stylistically. It's super fast. It feels like when I played sports. It's different, you're training different muscles, and I think the result is a very different performance for anyone who's seen my work before, which is of course because it's a different directing style, and it's just, as you said, a legend and will be remembered as such.

What this means for Gladiator II

Paul Mescal's performance in the sequel will be truly unique

Before Gladiator IIMescal was already an accomplished actor, including his Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun. As impressive as his career has already been, Mescal has now seemingly taken his acting to a new level as he leads the cast of Gladiator II. Lucius is the most physically demanding and fast-paced role Mescal has played to date. It will bring out different sides of the actor's talents as he portrays Lucius' journey.

Related

The 10 most rewatchable Gladiator scenes

Gladiator is one of the most iconic films of all time, thanks in part to the sheer amount of repeatable scenes contained in Ridley Scott's epic.

Considering how crucial Russell Crowe's leading performance was to the success of the original gladiatorIt's fitting that Mescal follows in his footsteps with his distinct portrayal of Lucius. Whether it's an action sequence in the Colosseum, a thrilling interaction with Macrinus, a thrilling duel with General Acacius, or a moving reunion with Lucilla, Mescal will do an excellent job of bringing all of these parts of Lucius' story to life. Working with Scott brought new dimensions to his acting skills that will do Gladiator II even more captivating to watch.

They're a reminder of why Ridley Scott is a legendary director

Scott remains one of the most exciting and versatile directors in the entertainment industry. Mescal understands that the achievement Scott contributed to is very special. Considering the original gladiatorDespite the first film's perfect ending, there was skepticism about the need for a sequel, especially more than two decades after the first film's release. Mescal's teases about his performance and Scott's directing style are promising signs that, despite the skepticism, Gladiator II will prove to be a worthy sequel to its predecessor.

Gladiator 2 is the sequel to Ridley Scott's award-winning 2000 film Gladiator. Scott returns to direct the sequel, starring Paul Mescal as Lucius, Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 was stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.

Release date

November 22, 2024

writer

David Scarpa, Peter Craig, David Franzoni

Pour

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, May Calamawy, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, Alexander Karim, Tim McInnerny, Lee Charles, Chidi Ajufo, Alfie Tempest, Riana Duce, Chi Lewis Parry, Paul Candelent, Hadrian Howard, Alexander Simkin, Mikhail Basmadjian, Matthew Charlery-Smith, Maxime Durand, Lior Raz

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