Ardent movie buffs must already be aware by now that a sequel to Ridley Scott’s highly acclaimed historical drama movie ‘Gladiator’ will be released in theatres on 22nd November 2024. The highly anticipated movie features the Oscar-nominated Irish actor Paul Mescal (Aftersun) in the lead role and will be directed by the parent film’s helmer Ridley Scott himself.
And now, as per the latest update, another Oscar-nominated Irish actor is all set to star alongside Paul Mescal in the yet untitled ‘Gladiator’ sequel. Barry Keoghan, who is fresh off the heels after his critically acclaimed performance in the period dark comedy film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, is reportedly in talks to star in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator 2’.
If the deal goes through, then Barry Keoghan will ostensibly essay a negative character called Emperor Geta in the upcoming ‘Gladiator’ movie and it’s going to be an important role. It was previously revealed that Paul Mescal will play the lead role of Lucilla’s son Lucius and Commodus’s nephew. In the parent film, Lucius’s character was saved by Maximus and the incident left a lasting impact on Lucius.
The ‘Gladiator’ sequel’s story will be set many years after the events shown in the first film featuring Russel Crowe as the warrior slave Maximus.
Besides starring in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, Barry Keoghan has previously lent his acting skills in the deeply disturbing psychological thriller ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ co-starring Colin Farrell, Christopher Nolan’s war movie ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Chernobyl’ series, and Chloe Zhao’s Marvel superhero movie ‘Eternals’, etc. He was also seen in a brief performance as Joker in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’. He would next be seen in a thriller movie titled ‘Saltburn’.