Paul Mescal is in talks to star in Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator, according to reports, a role that would give the fast-rising Irish actor his first lead in a big studio film.
Scott will direct the film for Paramount Pictures from a script by David Scarpa.
Mescal is set to play Lucius, son of Lucilla, the one-time romantic interest of the original film’s central character Maximus, played by Russell Crowe.
The original film won both the Best Picture Oscar and the Best Film Bafta in 2001, with Scott being nominated for the Oscar and Bafta directing awards. The film went on to gross $503m worldwide.
Scott will produce the sequel with Michael Pruss, president of his Scott Free company, and Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher of Red Wagon Entertainment. British costume designer Janty Yates, who won an Oscar for the original film, is also believed to be on board.
The original was co-produced by Universal and DreamWorks and Universal reportedly has an option to join Paramount as a co-producer of the sequel once the project is fully packaged.
Screen has contact Paramount and Mescal’s US agent for comment.
Mescal – who broke through with limited series Normal People and was one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2020 – is currently in awards contention for independent drama Aftersun, which has already earned him Film Independent Spirit Award and European Film Award nominations and a place on the Bafta longlist in the best actor category.
Since completing Aftersun and Irish drama God’s Creatures, Mescal has worked on projects including Andrew Haigh fantasy drama Strangers and Garth Davis sci-fi thriller Foe. He is set to lead the cast in Kevin Macdonald thriller A Spy By Nature, being sold internationally by HanWay Films.
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