Pedro Pascal Joins Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ Sequel

The “Last of Us” star joins Denzel Washington, Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal on the Paramount film

Pedro Pascal
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Pedro Pascal has joined Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Gladiator” sequel, TheWrap has confirmed.

The previously announced cast already includes recent Oscar nominee Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Barry Keoghan and Connie Nielsen, who returns from the first movie. “Stranger Things” breakout Joseph Quinn is also in negotiations.

Not much is known about the sequel to Scott’s 2000 Oscar-winning blockbuster, although it’s thought to follow Maximus’ son (played by Mescal). The original film, of course, followed Maximus (Russell Crowe), a man whose family was taken from him and who went from slave to gladiator to revolutionary. What a movie.

Pascal is having a particularly great year, having anchored two of the most critically acclaimed (and popular) series on television — HBO’s videogame adaptation “The Last of Us” and Lucasfilm’s live-action “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” for Disney+.

In terms of movies, he’s starring alongside Ethan Hawke in Pascal’s highly anticipated gay western “Strange Way of Life” (set to debut at Cannes later this month). He’ll also appear in “Drive-Away Dolls,” the first solo narrative feature from Ethan Coen without his brother Joel (the script was co-written by Ethan’s wife Tricia Cooke).

The truly unstoppable Scott is directing the new “Gladiator” film, as well as producing with Michael Pruss via Scott Free, Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher via Red Wagon Entertainment, and David Franzoni. Raymond Kirk and Nigel Wooll are executive producing. Scott’s “All the Time in the World” collaborator David Scarpa, who also wrote Scott’s upcoming Oscar hopeful “Napoleon” (set to be released by Sony this fall before heading to Apple TV+) is penning the script.

Ridley is really getting the band together again on this one: John Mathieson (director of photography), Arthur Max (production designer) and Janty Yates (costume designer) are all returning from the original film, as well.

Paramount Pictures set a Nov. 22, 2024 release date for the film.

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