Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal wage battle in 'Gladiator II' trailer
MANILA, Philippines — Paramount Pictures finally dropped a trailer for "Gladiator II," with Ridley Scott back to helm the sequel to his 2000 Oscar-winning film that starred Russell Crowe.
The trailer begins with a grown-up Lucius Verus, now played by Paul Mescal, recalling the final moments of Crowe's Maximus Decimus Meridius as depicted in the first "Gladiator." Clips from the original film are also shown.
Lucius is revealed to be speaking to Denzel Washington's Macrinus, a power broker who handles gladiators and attempts to recruit the former heir to the Roman Empire.
Rome is now co-ruled by brothers Geta and Caracella (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), and the famous Colosseum still remains a source of glory for gladiators — with several clips even showing a water battle taking palce in the center.
"Did you hear that crowd? The greatest temple Rome ever built — the Colosseum," says Macrinus. "Because this is what they believe in... power."
WATCH: 'Gladiator' sequel to hit Philippine cinemas in November
The trailer also highlights Pedro Pascal's Marcus Acacius, a general who trained under Maximus and who had led an army in North Africa.
Macrinus continues to pitch to Lucius, who rallies fellow gladiators under the watch of his mother Lucilla (a returning Connie Nielsen), who is unaware of her son's whereabouts.
Jay-Z and Ye's "No Church in the Wild" kicks in as Macrinus vows to raise Lucius' glory and get him close to Marcus, the only payment he wishes for.
"Is this how Rome treats its heroes?" Lucius yells over action clips, culminating in him approaching Marcus in the middle of the Colosseum and a bloody battle ensues.
"Gladiator II" premieres in Philippine cinemas on November 20. — Video from Paramount Pictures International's YouTube channel
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