Pedro Pascal Joins ‘Gladiator’ Sequel
EXCLUSIVE: While the second season of HBO’s hit series The Last Of Us is in the works, its star Pedro Pascal looks to have found the project he’ll shoot during its hiatus and boy is it a big one. Sources tell Deadline, Pascal is in final negotiations to join the untitled Gladiator sequel for Paramount. He joins Paul Mescal, who will star as Lucius, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. Ridley Scott is returning to direct.
The new film follows the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, which earned more than $460 million in worldwide box office and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning five including Best Picture.
The role of Maximus, the Roman general-turned-gladiator, was a career-changer for Russell Crowe, not only delivering him the Best Actor Oscar but also launching him to the top of every leading-man list. Once it was made clear last year that the sequel would be Scott’s next movie, every male actor in town that fit the profile began chasing the part.
Scott also will produce, along with Scott Free President Michael Pruss as well as Doug Wick & Lucy Fisher via Red Wagon Entertainment. David Scarpa penned the script. Also returning from the original film are John Mathieson (Director of Photography), Arthur Max (Production Designer), and Janty Yates (Costume Designer). Paramount Pictures has dated the film for Nov. 22, 2024.
The first film was co-production between Universal and DreamWorks, and while DreamWorks will not be involved in the sequel, Universal has the right to partner again when the project is packaged.
While Pascal has been a major player following his scene-stealing role in his one season on Game of Thrones, his star has blasted off following his critically-acclaimed in The Last of Us, which has become one of the most popular shows in HBO’s history. While HBO is looking to get the show up and going next year, Pascal had been weighing a number of options to shoot before jumping back in to that and the opportunity on this film was too hard to pass up.
Besides The Last of Us, which will certainly have him in award season chatter this Emmy season, he also reprised his role on the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which just had its season finale last week.
Pascal can next be seen starring alongside Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodovar’s short film, Strange Way of Life, which will premiere at the Cannes film festival, and will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics this fall. Additionally, Pascal is in Ethan Coen’s film Drive Away Dolls, distributed by Focus Features and releasing September 2023. Pascal also stars in Anna Boden’s Freaky Tales which is likely to come out later this year.
He also hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year, which earned him rave reviews and is also in contention for some Emmy love this award season.
Pascal is represented by CAA and Kimberly Jaime at Jackoway Austen.
Source: Deadline
