By John Corrado

The first trailer for Ridley Scott’s legacy sequel Gladiator II was released this morning (the poster was unveiled yesterday), and I’m thoroughly impressed with what’s been shown so far. The Oscar-winning first film from 2000 is a stone-cold classic (I’m due for a rewatch soon), and this follow-up starring Irish actor Paul Mescal appears to deliver on the promise of cinematic spectacle, including the massive, bloody action sequences in the Coliseum.

Mescal looks up to the challenge of leading the film, and is joined in the cast by Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. The standout unsurprisingly seems to be Washington, putting him in the Oscar conversation for Best Supporting Actor. While the most controversial aspect of the trailer seems to be the anachronistic use of “No Church in the Wild” in the second half, dare I say the song fits; it’s a rousing anthem made to get you pumped up. I’m hoping this film will deliver the goods.

Paramount is releasing the film in theatres on November 22nd, trailer and synopsis are below. Please comment your thoughts if you have watched the trailer!

“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.” – Paramount Pictures