Looking forward to this year’s exciting and unpredictable Oscar race? No wonder, as Ridley Scott’s epic and potential blockbuster sequel Gladiator II heads to AMPAS and SAG voters in Los Angeles. Because it exploded onto the scene after it premiered in front of an audience.
The long-awaited sequel to Best Picture winner Gladiator (2000) has sparked a long-awaited Oscar win for three-time Oscar nominee Scott. Additionally, his stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington are currently candidates in their respective acting races.
Mescal, who earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for “After Sun” (2022), may return to that category with his lead role in “Gladiator II.” Meanwhile, Washington, who has already won two Best Acting Oscars, could be in contention for a third time, with three-time Best Actor winners including Frances McDormand, Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis. likely to join the small list of Washington is in the race for Best Supporting Actor.
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Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius and Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius.
Aidan Monaghan
Initial reactions from attendees at the first screening in Los Angeles were mostly positive.
OffScreenCentral’s Gillian Chiringerian wrote, “Let’s put Denzel Washington’s name on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for ‘Gladiator 2’ now.”
KTLA contributor Scott Mantz called the film an “epic sequel” and further said it had “great action, great visual effects, and excellent performances across the board.”
Freelancer’s Simon Thompson wrote, “Gladiator II offers a richest feast of epic action scenes and truly dastardly betrayals.”
Matt Brennan of the LA Times said the film was “utterly bad shit” and further called it “the ‘return’ of the bloody costume epic.”
“Gladiator II” takes place 16 years after the events of the first film. The story follows Lucius (Mescal), grandson of former Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). Lucius currently lives in Numidia with his wife and children. However, when the Roman army led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades, he is enslaved. He must fight as a gladiator under the orders of Caracalla and Geta (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger), the current young emperors.
Scott’s awards campaign has been a major focus for Paramount Pictures, which also has films in the awards season that also include the Robbie Williams musical biopic “Better Man” and the newly acquired 1972 Munich Olympics hostage tragedy “September Five.” I’m recommending it. Of Scott’s previous three directing attempts at the Oscar (including “Thelma & Louise” (1991) and “Black Hawk Down” (2001)), “Gladiator” came closest to winning. , losing to two-time director Steven Soderbergh for “Traffic.” ” (His other nomination was for “Erin Brockovich”).
Although Scott’s critical reception has been inconsistent in recent years (namely Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings), Gladiator II may be his best work since Black Hawk Down. I don’t know. Even if sequels primarily excel in technical categories, visually stunning films like Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity still sway the director. History has proven that it can be pushed onto the Dolby Theater stage. Of course, Denis Villeneuve’s brilliant Dune: Part 2 will also be featured in the same category. Is there room for both?
Interestingly, Oscar history shows that even a director who wins Best Picture but loses the Director category can win again for a sequel. Although Francis Ford Coppola lost out on Best Director for The Godfather (1972), he won Best Director for The Godfather Part II (1974) and won six Oscars that night, including Best Picture. I achieved this by doing this. Could the “Gladiator” series follow a similar strategy?Writing candidates are crucial, but the category is already overflowing with candidates.
Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II.
cuba scott
“Gladiator II” could also be a favorite in the acting category. Washington’s delightfully sinister performance as Macrinus, a nefarious former slave plotting to take over Rome, is one of his most charismatic and captivating performances. With his jaw-dropping costumes and hypnotic earrings, his work is reminiscent of his second Oscar win for playing corrupt drug agent Alonzo in Training Day.
Villains traditionally perform well in the supporting actor category, with past actors including Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds), and Heath Ledger ( “The Dark Knight”) were among the winners. Washington most recently came close to winning his third Oscar for his role as an independent director in Fences (2016), but despite winning the SAG Award, Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea It didn’t come close. But with a seemingly thinner list of candidates and no clear front-runner emerging, Washington could be positioned as the new favorite to win it all. At the very least, the actor, who has appeared in more than 50 films and received countless snubs, could earn his first BAFTA nomination.
“Gladiator II” will be released in theaters on November 22nd, distributed by Paramount.
