TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 05: Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Fred Hechinger attend the "Gladiator II" Japan Premiere Red Carpet at Ariake Coliseum on November 5, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
The Tokyo International Film Festival hosted the Asian premiere of Gladiator II on Nov. 5.
The film has high standards to live up to, given the overwhelming success of the first Gladiator, which won five Oscars and earned $465.4 million worldwide.
Organizers of the festival, now in its 37th year, stated they were optimistic that the film would attract a sizable audienceand hopefully “become one of the most iconic films of the year.”
The Tokyo Film Festival’s artistic director Shoo Ichiyama said, “Gladiator II showcases a stellar cast of actors who are riding a wave of success and an even more episode scale that surpasses the previous film. We are honored to screen Gladiator II as our centerpiece, which is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited films by audiences worldwide this year.”
This highly anticipated sequel will not be released in North America until the weekend before Thanksgiving on Nov. 22.
The film stars actors Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Fred Hechinger. While the latter three walked the red carpet on Tuesday night, Mescal was not seen at the premiere despite having been seen in town just days before. Mescal did not address the reason for his absence but posted a clip to X in which he said, “I hope you enjoy the film, and I can’t wait to come back.”
In a further exploration of David Franzoni’s original characters, Gladiator’s sequel, a screenplay by David Scarpa, takes place over a decade after the first movie’s ending. It sees the nephew (Mescal) of the first film’s emperor, Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), return to Rome and assume the role of a Gladiator in his quest for power and revenge.
In June 2023, Mescal was injured on set while filming a stunt sequence.
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