Odds against Paul Mescal in new Gladiator II trailer
· RTE.ieFilm fans have been given a new sneak peek at Paul Mescal in director Ridley Scott's eagerly awaited Gladiator II.
The 28-year-old Maynooth native is taking on his first major Hollywood role in the long-awaited sequel to Scott's 2000 Oscar-winning epic starring Russell Crowe.
Gladiator II follows Mescal's Lucius, the now-grown-up son of Gladiator's Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen, and his fight for survival under the rule of tyrannical general Acacius (Pedro Pascal).
The new outing is set 20 years after the events of the original movie, with the estimated era for the sequel being 200AD.
A synopsis of the film reads: "Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
"With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people."
Denzel Washington also stars in the film as the wealthy powerbroker Macrinus while Stranger Things and A Quiet Place: Day One star Joseph Quinn and The White Lotus actor Fred Hechinger play co-emperors Caracalla and Geta.
Gladiator II opens in Irish cinemas on Friday 15 November.