Nearly 25 years after "Gladiator" became an instant classic, Ridley Scott returns to an empire built on blood and glory. But in this Rome, the stakes are higher and the battles are bigger.
This sequel stars Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus, a character who appeared as a young boy in the 2000 movie starring Russell Crowe.
Mescal reflected on seeing the sequel for the first time.
"I was so relieved, excited, proud," Mescal says. "Just like a massive exhale, because this is the movie we set out to make, and I think it's a film that people who love the first film will really, really enjoy."
He describes the world of Gladiator as, "360, it's further than your eye can see, and it's all around you all the time, it's bigger than I can describe to anyone. I think people just kind of nod and go, 'OK, so it was big.' I was like, 'No, it's huge.'"
The film picks up fifteen years after the death of Maximus Meridius. His legacy lives on in Lucius, now a man and a warrior forced to fight in the arena for an empire he despises.
As Lucius, Paul Mescal steps into the biggest role of his career.
"This wasn't even in my wildest dreams," Mescal said, whose father loves the original movie. "It was a big moment for not just my dad, my family in general. I think they were just kind of in disbelief, and there was kind of cursing and shouting and roaring."
Connie Nielsen returns as Lucilla, the heart of both films.
"We were all really concerned with the responsibility that we felt to really make sure that our game was there maximum," Nielsen said. "When I walked up the hill to the old fort that I had been shooting in 25 years ago, when, at the time, I had a little young son, and now I have five children, and you kind of just see this return to this thing that is so big and so outsized in every way. And then at the end of the shoot, my heart was breaking. I just didn't want to let it go."
This time, mad twin emperors reign in terror and excess, while in the shadows, a more dangerous game unfolds. That game comes from Denzel Washington's Macrinus, a new character lurking in the shadows as a political puppeteer.
"I always choose roles," Washington said about his career. "I mean, they choose me. You know, Ridley Scott called me, I said, yes, Spike Lee called me for Malcolm X, I said, yes."
Fred Hechinger, who appears in the movie as Emperor Caracalla, reflected on working with the legendary actor.
"It's a blessing. I mean, truly, one of my favorite actors of all time," he said. "You just feel he is so in the moment of the moment of the moment."
Hechinger portrays one of the twin emperors, with the other played by Joseph Quinn.
"There were a lot of different inspirations, but one of them, and I swear to this, is Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head, which Sir Ridley Scott is a fan of," says Hechinger. "So, you know, sometimes we would do a scene and I would look over at Ridley, and we do the little laugh together."
Washington says this is the first time he's been in a film this big, "I mean, Ridley built Rome," he said.
"Gladiator II" arrives in theaters this week.
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