Normal People’s Paul Mescal may star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel

First things first: have you seen Hulu’s Normal People? If not, I suggest you watch it STAT, as well as read the novel it’s based on. It’s a great show, and 50% of that was because of one of its lead actors: Paul Mescal.

With that in mind, I’m excited over this report from Deadline claiming that Mescal is in negotiations to play the lead role in upcoming sequel to Gladiator, beating out other big names like Timothee Chalamet, Austin Butler and Miles Teller to name a few.

Ridley Scott is set to return as the director and producer of the sequel, which fans have been waiting a long time to see. The original movie, released in 2000, made $460 million worldwide, was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture.

Paul Mescal may star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel

Gladiator is a beloved movie that resonates with people even 23 years after its release. The movie starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a role that snagged him an Oscar for Best Actor Oscar and solidifying him as a proper star. The same could happen to Mescal if this goes through. Apparently, Mescal was one of the first actors to sit down with Scott, and despite meeting with other talents, it seems that Scott’s heart was set on the Normal People star.

It should be clarified that Mescal will not replace Crowe’s Maximus, who died in the original film, but rather play the role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Lucius, as a reminder, is the nephew of the emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix in the original movie. In the first film, young Lucius loved learning about Roman history from his uncle. However, he also became friends with Maximus, his uncle’s enemy. Eventually, Commodus died at the hands of Maximus, who also died shortly after. The sequel will pick up years after the original film with an older Lucius (who, a historical fun fact, actually died at a young age in real-life).

Paul Mescal’s deal to star in the Gladiator sequel has not been finalized, but it sounds close, and I cannot wait.

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