Pedro Pascal Joins 'Gladiator 2' Cast

Ridley Scott's Gladiator sequel now has a Mandalorian on staff. Pedro Pascal is reportedly set to star in the new project, which already features Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. Pascal stars in Disney+'s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and HBO's The Last of Us.

Pascal is in final negotiations to join the Paramount project, reports Deadline. It's unclear what role he will play, but the new movie will center on Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Nielsen) and nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Mescal will play Lucius, the part previously played by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator. Although Clark has continued working in Hollywood, he was not considered for the part.

Scott is set to produce with Scott Free President Michael Pruss. Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher of Red Wagon Entertainment are also producing. David Scarpa, who worked with Scott on his upcoming Napoleon biopic, wrote the script. Scott is bringing back cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max, and costume designer Janty Yates for the sequel. Paramount Pictures scheduled the movie for Nov. 22, 2024.

The original Gladiator hit theaters in 2000 and took home five Oscars, including Best Picture. Russell Crowe won Best Actor for his star-making performance as Roman general-turned-gladiator Maximus. The movie also won Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. Scott was nominated for Best Director.

Pascal began his Hollywood career in the late 1990s, but it wasn't until his performance as Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones in 2014 that he was launched into the stratosphere. After that, he booked a lead role in Netflix's Narcos and was cast as the title character in Disney+'s first live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian. He also plays Joel Miller in HBO's critically acclaimed series The Last of Us. His next project is Pedro Almodovar's short Western film Strange Way of Life, which will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Pascal also stars in Ethan Cown's Drive Away Dolls and Anna Boden's Freaky Tales.

Scott's next movie is his Napoleon epic, which Apple TV+ and Sony will release to theaters on Nov. 22 before it hits streaming. Joaquin Phoenix plays the French emperor, while Vanessa Kirby plays Empress Josephine. Tahar Rahim also plays a key role as Paul Barras, the leader of the Directory regime Napoleon overthrew when he became emperor.