Christian Deiparine

"Gladiator II" stars Paul Mescal and is directed by Ridley Scott, promising a visual spectacle and intense character study.

Article (news)

Paul Mescal channels a gladiator's rage in legendary collab with Ridley Scott

TFC News

<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eLoh2cVQwp0?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>Filmmaker Ridley Scott has a knack for creating masterpieces that stand the test of time. But even he admitted that returning to the world of “Gladiator” came with unique challenges.&quot;It became part of people&#x27;s lives,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#x27;s great that a film takes off like that, that has been created, and you have been part of the creation. It&#x27;s wonderful. And so then it becomes important to you to find the next one to do.&quot;To bring that next chapter to life, Scott knew he needed the right talent to embody the central character. That turned out to be Paul Mescal, who shot to fame after &quot;Normal People.&quot;For the actor, stepping into the shoes of Lucius meant more than just performance—it was a turning point in his career.&quot;The main aspect of growth would have been with responsibility,&quot; he said. [It&#x27;s] my first time leading a studio film. So that&#x27;s a big junction in any actor&#x27;s career, and then to work with somebody who has the experience that Ridley has.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1732891753540IMG_7595.jpeg" style="width:958px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Paul Mescal is Lucius in &quot;Gladiator II.&quot; (Courtesy: Paramount &quot;Gladiator II&quot;)"/>Paul Mescal is Lucius in &quot;Gladiator II.&quot; (Courtesy: Paramount &quot;Gladiator II&quot;)</div>&quot;He&#x27;s (Scott) been there, done that, seen that with actors who are at this moment in their careers,&quot; Mescal added. &quot;And I think he reduced it back down to me for the work. I couldn&#x27;t really focus on the fact that it was a big studio picture. It was just we were working on the day that was out in front of us.&quot;The Irish actor also dug deep into the psychology of his character, bringing a layered intensity to Lucius&#x27;s journey.&quot;I think people who are angry are normally very hurt,&quot; he said, &quot;so, people talk about the rage and the anger, but for me, it was about unpacking ‘what is the hurt that is making him appear like such a dog, such fury.&#x27;&quot;Scott’s directing style played a crucial role in helping the actor find his footing.&quot;Always, everything,&quot; he said when asked if any part of the film felt like uncharted territory to him. &quot;And I like being on thin ice. Everything is a learning curve. Learning, learning, learning.&quot;“Gladiator II” is now out in U.S. theaters and will premiere in the Philippines on Dec. 4.

"Gladiator II" stars Paul Mescal and is directed by Ridley Scott, promising a visual spectacle and intense character study.