First footage of Gladiator II reveals Paul Mescal's Lucius in bloody baboon battle

Gladiator II is officially taking over the Colosseum — the one in Las Vegas, that is.

The first footage from the highly anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed 2000 blockbuster Gladiator was screened for CinemaCon audiences Thursday in the aptly titled theater at Caesars Palace in Vegas. In a video introduction from London where he is still working on the film, director Ridley Scott promised the follow-up to his Russell Crowe-starring original is "well worth the wait" and "possibly more extraordinary than the first."

The footage shown in the room reveals the first look at Paul Mescal's grown-up character Lucius, the nephew of Commodus and the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, who reprises the role) — first played by a young Spencer Treat Clark in the 2000 film. Mescal's Lucius is shirtless and very fit, fighting in the arena, which looks more run down than in the original film. Among his opponents are a man riding a rhino and a stampede of bloodied baboons. But he clearly has Crowe's Maximus and his fateful ending on his mind: "I remember that day. I never forgot it. That a slave could take revenge against an emperor. That a slave could get justice in the arena,” he says at one point.

Denzel Washington is shown playing what seems to be nobility and a mentor figure to Lucius, possibly hoping he can use the young gladiator to inspire a rebellion. "Can you hear that crowd, the greatest temple Rome ever built, the Colosseum," Washington says in the footage. "This is what they believe in, power."

We also see Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn as an evil-looking Emperor Geta. "Your trials will be celebrated with games in the Colosseum," he announces. White Lotus' Fred Hechinger plays a similarly crazed Emperor Caracalla, and between the two, it feels like the megalomaniacal spirit of the original's villain, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), has not been forgotten in the sequel.

Pedro Pascal appears to be in a senator-like role, wearing a nice toga and headgear next to the emperor. He is also shown fighting in other footage.

"This ring belonged to Maximus, now I give it to you," Nielsen's Lucilla tells her son in the clip as she presents him a ring.

The footage ends with a subtitle reading, "A rebellion will rise," and Lucius saying, "What we do in life echoes in eternity," in a callback to Maximus' famous quote from the original. If the first look is anything to go by, the sequel will be a bloody, epic return to form, and the CinemaCon audience ate it up, loudly cheering at the start and conclusion. Clearly, they were very entertained indeed.

Legacy cast member Derek Jacobi is also returning to play the role of Gracchus in the film. May Calamawy (Moon Knight, Ramy), Lior Raz (Operation Finale), Peter Mensah (Avatar), and Matt Lucas (Wonka, Bridesmaids) also star in the epic.

Scott returns as director, and several other artists who brought the original Gladiator to life are returning to his sequel, as well. This includes cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max, and costume designer Janty Yates. All the Money in the World and Napoleon scribe David Scarpa penned the screenplay.

"Working on this film was one of the standout moments of my life to date," Mescal said of the project on Thursday as part of the video introduction, which also included remarks from Washington, Nielsen, Pascal and Quinn. "Getting to go to work every day with Sir Ridley Scott behind the camera is a good day to work in any context."

Gladiator II is currently slated for release in theaters Nov. 22.

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