Pedro Pascal has joined the cast for ‘Gladiator 2’

Pedro Pascal has just signed on to the Ridley Scott-directed movie ‘Gladiator 2′, the sequel to the hit historical drama ‘Gladiator’ starring Russell Crowe that was released in 2000.

Pascal will join Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, and Connie Nielsen in the upcoming movie.

Who’s new and returning in ‘Gladiator 2′?

While Pascal’s role is still unknown, the movie is set to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, exploring the life of gladiators during the height of the Roman Empire.

‘Gladiator’, released in 2000, cemented Russell Crowe as a leading man, where he portrayed Maximus, a Roman general who becomes a gladiator and fights his way to avenge his father’s murder at the hands of Emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix.

The role earned Crowe the Best Actor award at the 2001 Academy Awards. And while Crowe says he won’t be returning in the sequel, fans are hopeful that he may appear in a flashback.

In the upcoming sequel, Mescal will be playing a grown-up Lucius from the first ‘Gladiator’, the son of Lucilla, played by Nielsen, who will be reprising her role in the sequel.

John Mathieson, who was the director of photography for the original film, will also be returning in ‘Gladiator 2′, along with Arthur Max returning as production designer, and Janty Yates as costume designer.

Scott will be joined by Michael Pruss from his Scott Free production company, along with Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher from Red Wagon Entertainment as producers. The script is written by David Scarpa, who has penned scripts for ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) and episodes of ‘The Man in the High Castle.’

A busy year for Pedro Pascal

Pascal has been enjoying plenty of success since his role as Oberyn Martell in ‘Game of Thrones’ season four.

The actor has gone on to land big roles, including the titular character in ‘The Mandalorian’, and most recently as Joel Miller alongside Bella Ramsay in ‘The Last of Us’, which is currently filming its second season in Vancouver, Canada.

His latest role is in the Pedro Almodóvar-directed short film ‘Strange Way of Life’, where he plays Silva. Joining him in the movie are Ethan Hawke, Manu Ríos, and José Condessa. The movie will premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival this month.

Pascal can also be seen later this year in ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ directed by Ethan Coen, and also in ‘Freaky Tales’ directed by Anna Boden.

When will ‘Gladiator 2′ be released?

‘Gladiator 2′ is set to be released on November 22, 2024.