Paul Mescal Will Trade His Chain For a Sword in the Gladiator Sequel

It looks like Paul Mescal is gearing up to trade his gold chain for a gold sword. The Normal People star is reportedly in talks to play the lead in the Gladiator sequel, the much-anticipated follow-up to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film. According to Deadline, Mescal is a finalist for the role. The casting process began in November after the script was finalized. Mescal was reportedly one of the first actors to meet with the director. An inside source told Deadline that Scott met with other talent, but Mescal is "clearly" his top choice. If he does nab the role, Mescal will play Lucius in the sequel.

Before we continue, here's a quick refresher: Lucius is Lucilla’s (Connie Nielsen) son in the original movie. Back then, the character was a young child whose life was saved by Maximus (Russell Crowe) after the final battle. The sequel takes place years after the first film ended, where Lucius is all grown up and ready to embark on his own journey. The official plot has not been released, but from the sound of things, the next Gladiator will largely follow Lucius's life as an adult in Ancient Rome.

Though the Gladiator sequel is still in development, Scott has secured a team to bring the film to life. He is producing the sequel alongside Michael Pruss, the president of Scott Free Productions, and Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher from Red Wagon Entertainment. Scott also brought on Janty Yates, the original costume designer for Gladiator, along with Arthur Max, the original production designer. If we're lucky, Mescal might round out their team as the next great Gladiator. Until then you can see the actor star in his latest project, the brilliant Aftersun.

From: Esquire US