For fans of the original Gladiator, there is a small yet exciting piece of news that the star for the sequel, Paul Mescal, gave as an update regarding the new film’s development. In an interview with Deadline while on a red carpet, Mescal mentions that the film will begin shooting “in the summer,” although the exact date is not specified.

Paul Mescal on the Irish contingent having a good time and ‘Gladiator 2’ #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/ANBY76rPBA

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 19, 2023

Mescal is set to play Lucias, the son of the Roman Empress Lucilla (Connie Nielson). Fans will remember Lucias as the young boy who, alongside his mother, was saved by Maximus (Russell Crow) in the first film from his cruel uncle, Commodus (Joaquin Phoneix).

While the protagonist of the first film, Maximus, will not appear in the squeal because it takes place years after the character’s death, there is no doubt that his memory will be alive throughout the upcoming film. When asked what warranted a return for Gladiator, director of both the original and squeal, Scott Ridley, told Deadline:

“First of all, I love doing period films. I love the research. I love to create sort of smells of the period.” Ridley then goes on to say that the person who handed him the initial script for the original Gladiator picked up an illustration, this is true, it’s called For Those About to Die by Gérôme. He holds it up. It’s a picture of this big painting of the Coliseum, and in the corner there is this guy, about to tuna fork this poor bastard. He’s got this thing in his neck, and he’s looking up for permission to kill. I went, bloody hell, that’s never been done properly before. Never. I said, I’ll do it. He said you will? I said yes. Did you want to read the script? I said no, and we went off and hit the ground running around the table, and evolved the new material.

Gladiator‘s sequel is set to release on November 23, 2024.