Gladiator IIcontinues a decades-old story in more ways than one. Not only has it taken 24 years for a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 blockbusterGladiatorto get made, but the film is also set over two decades after the events of that first film. Gone are Russell Crowe’s Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus—instead, the film revolves around the grown-up Lucius Verus, played by Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal.
TheGladiator IIcast is rounded out with an impressive array of actors including Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, andThelmastar Fred Hechinger. Hechinger plays Emperor Caracalla, who co-rules the Roman Empire with Emperor Geta. Though the movie’s historical accuracy has been criticized by historians, Caracalla and Geta did indeed rule Rome for a time.
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Screen Rantinterviewed Fred Hechinger about portraying hisGladiator IIcharacterEmperor Caracalla. Hechinger shared moments of feeling transported back to Ancient Rome and the surprising influenceBeavis and Butt-Headhad on his portrayal. Hechinger also shared his hopes for how viewers will experience the movie and praised the importance of the big screen.
The Moment Fred Hechinger Was Transported To Gladiator II As Emperor Caracalla
He Reveals The Sequence That Made Him Worry He Was Experiencing A “Psychotic Break”
Screen Rant: Fred, incredible job on this film, man. Look,Gladiatorwas the first DVD I ever owned, and I feel like this movie lives up to expectations. It has an A-list cast, but I feel like you and Joseph (Quinn) were the ones who stole the scene every single scene for me. Growing up watching Ridley Scott’s film, how did it feel stepping into the universe he created forGladiator II?
Fred Hechinger: Amazing. Wild. Even in trying to tell you now, I still feel at a loss for words for all of it. I’ll never forget the first day that Joe and I walked into the Colosseum. We walked up the stairs, looked down, and were just speechless. We just could not believe how massive and convincing and intense it all was.
You mentioned that this film’s universe felt incredibly real. Can you describe the moment on set where you truly felt transported back in time?
Fred Hechinger: It happened in different ways every day, but when you said that, it made me think of this memory. There’s a scene where I talk to Macrinus, played by Denzel, and I move out, say bye to him, step into this carriage, and horses start to go. I thought we were going to end the scene at the goodbye, but the carriage is moving.
I look to my right and to my left, and there are tons and tons of people screaming about how they hate the emperor at full volume. I’m reacting back to them, and I’m realizing that maybe I’ve just had a psychotic break and there is no movie. I’m living in some weird fantasy where I’m a sickly Roman emperor, and it just keeps happening. I’m like, “There’s going to be no cut. It’s just going to keep going forever.” That’s what it felt like.
Gladiator II Is Not Without Its Humor, And Fred Hechinger’s Character Is Proof
“They speak to the current moment and they feel as scary and messy and raw as today.”
You just completely transported back in time and lost it. I love that. Now, how did the discussion aboutBeavis and Butt-Heador Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious influence your portrayal of the character?
Fred Hechinger: I think it speaks to the danger and the unpredictability of who these people are. I think it’s very important for Ridley that his film [that] are about the past or take place in the past, are not just these dusty things from far away—that they speak to the current moment and they feel as scary and messy and raw as today.
I think the way that we talked about those references was about creating a sense of presence and a sense of shock and surprise. Beavis and Butt-Head [were talked about] in terms of the humor and the comedy of who these guys are and how they function with one another, and then Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious [were] in terms of the unpredictability—that kind of punk violence.
This film demands to be seen in theaters. What do you want audiences to feel or experience while watching this on the big screen?
Fred Hechinger: I just want them to find the biggest screen possible with the loudest sound with their tub of popcorn and all their friends, and I just want them to experience it full on. I think it’s a transformative, transportive movie, and I think if you’re near an IMAX theater, go see it that way. See it on as big a screen as possible.
More About Gladiator II (2024)
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal starring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
