Early reactions are in for Gladiator II. The movie sees original director Ridley Scott returning to helm a 24-years-later sequel to his 2000 hit, which was the second highest-grossing movie of that year, earning $465.4 million against its $100 million budget. The upcoming Gladiator II follows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), the son of Russell Crowe’s original character Maximus, who takes on Macrinus (Denzel Washington) as a gladiator mentor while aiding the fight to overthrow emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). The cast also includes Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen, reprising her original role as Lucilla.
