During the promotion of the movie “Gladiator II” , star Paul Mescal gave an interview to the gay magazine Attitude in order to attract LGBTQ+ viewers as well. “I think it’s a movie for the gays,” the actor stated, adding that it’s also for “guys, girls, moms and dads.”
The actor continued, “Interestingly enough, this happened in the first movie. Boys will love it too, don’t get me wrong. It’s entertainment. People want to see movies on this scale,” said the actor. The film has already grossed $87 million in its first weekend in theaters.
In the film, Paul Mescal plays Lucius, son of Lucilla, a character from the first film, released in 2000. In the story, he is now an adult and enslaved, forced to enter the Colosseum, while trying to restore the glory of Rome to the people.
Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal are also in the cast. Denzel, in fact, complained that Ridley Scott’s production cut a scene in which he kissed another man. Paul Mescal, meanwhile, prefers to focus on the positive side of the experience.
He was impressed with the overproduction. “Gladiator II” is a film valued at $250 million. “It would be remiss to say how much work and labor went into building the Colosseum, the sets in Morocco, the Appian Way, the Emperor’s Palace…. it’s huge!” he praised.
“I managed to save one costume from each battle armor – I still don’t know where to put them! They’re stored somewhere in the world. The skirt, the breastplate… three of them,” he said. The film is one of the most anticipated films of 2024 and is aiming for ten Oscar nominations. It opens this week in the United States, with “Wicked” as the main competitor.
