Ridley Scott returns to Ancient Rome this Christmas with the highly anticipated Gladiator II, the sequel to the Oscar-winning film for Best Picture. The new chapter promises to be as epic, intense, and violent as its predecessor. The trailer has already hinted that, once again, the film will be rated R, just like the original almost 25 years ago. The MPAA has officially confirmed that Gladiator II will receive an "R" rating for "strong bloody violence" and will be released in theaters at the end of the year.
The sequel will continue the story of the original, focusing on an older Lucius, the son of Lucilla who appeared in the first film. Paul Mescal will play the lead role, taking over from Russell Crowe, who won an Oscar in 2000 for his portrayal of Maximus. In a recent interview with Empire, Scott confidently stated, "It's the best film I've ever made," while acknowledging the quality of many of his other works: "It's one of my best, and I've done a lot of good things." With a budget exceeding 300 million dollars, the film has already sparked discussions due to the inclusion of a hip hop track in the first trailer.