Gladiator 2 will feature some of the "biggest action sequences ever put on film"

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Ridley Scott says it's "worth the wait"

Paul Mescal in Carmen
(Image credit: Ben King/Chapter 2)

Whatever you're expecting from Gladiator 2, it seems like we need to think bigger, with a studio boss teasing some of the biggest action sequences committed to film in the upcoming sequel.

The comments come after new, extended footage was shown behind closed doors at the CineEurope trade show in Barcelona, featuring a scene between Paul Mescal's Lucius Verus and Pedro Pascal's character, along with a new, previously unseen trailer. 

According to Variety, Paramount boss Mark Viane said the movie featured some of the "biggest action sequences ever put on film," while director Ridley Scott said that the sequel, which comes almost a quarter of a century after the original movie, was "well worth the wait".

That certainly rings true with what we've heard so far – other footage, also not yet released to the public, reportedly featured fighting sharks, man-eating monkeys, and tyrannical emperors. And, naturally, some brutal fight scenes to boot.

Alongside Mescal and Pascal, the movie sees Connie Nielsen return as Lucilla, Lucius' mother, and she's joined by new cast members including Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn, and The White Lotus' Fred Hechinger.

The sequel will be set 15 years after the first Gladiator movie, with Mescal's Lucius, the former heir to the Roman Empire, renouncing his privilege for life as a gladiator. Separated from his family, he's been living in the wilderness for the last decade and a half. 

Gladiator 2 arrives on the big screen on November 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's biggest movie release dates at a glance. 

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.