Ridley Scott’s Sequel Eyes Oscars

Are you not entertained by this year’s exciting and unpredictable Oscar race? Well, you should be because Ridley Scott‘s epic and potentially huge blockbuster sequel, “Gladiator II,” has exploded onto the scene following its first screening in Los Angeles in front of an audience of AMPAS and SAG voters.

The long-awaited sequel to best picture winner “Gladiator” (2000) is igniting the spark for Scott, its three-time Oscar-nominated director, to be in the running to win his long-coveted Academy Award. Additionally, his stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington are now contenders in their respective acting races.

After picking up his first best actor Oscar nomination for “Aftersun” (2022), Mescal could find himself back in the category for his “Gladiator II” leading role. Meanwhile, Washington, who already has two acting Oscars, could be in contention for a third, potentially joining a small list of three-time acting winners, including Frances McDormand, Jack Nicholson, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Washington will compete in the supporting actor race.

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit.

Most of the first reactions from attendees at the first Los Angeles screening have been positive.

Jillian Chilingerian from OffScreenCentral wrote, “Engrave Denzel Washington’s name on the best supporting actor Oscar for ‘Gladiator 2‘ right this instance.”

Scott Mantz, KTLA contributor, called the movie “an epic sequel,” further stating it has “great action, amazing visual effects, stellar performances across the board.”

“‘Gladiator II’ serves up the richest feast in the epic action set pieces and the deliciously ribald treachery,” wrote freelancer Simon Thompson.

Matt Brennan of the L.A. Times said the film has “absolute sicko shit,” further calling it “the ‘we are so back’ of bloody costume epics.”

“Gladiator II” occurs 16 years after the first film’s events. The story follows Lucius (Mescal) — the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). Lucius now lives with his wife and child in Numidia. However, when Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade, he is forced into slavery. He must fight as a gladiator at the behest of the current young emperors, Caracalla and Geta (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger).

Scott’s awards campaign is a major focus for Paramount Pictures, which is also pushing the Robbie Williams musical biopic “Better Man” and the newly acquired 1972 Munich Olympics hostage tragedy “September 5” this awards season. Of Scott’s three previous directing Oscar bids — which also include “Thelma & Louise” (1991) and “Black Hawk Down” (2001) — “Gladiator” was his closest shot at victory, losing to the double-nominated Steven Soderbergh for “Traffic” (his other nomination was for “Erin Brockovich”).

While Scott’s critical reception has been inconsistent in recent years (i.e., “Robin Hood” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings”), “Gladiator II” might be his best effort since “Black Hawk Down.” Even if the sequel primarily excels in technical categories, history has shown that visually stunning films, like Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” or Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity,” can still propel directors to the Dolby Theatre stage. Of course, Denis Villeneuve’s stunning “Dune: Part Two” will be angling for those same categories. Is there room for both?

Interestingly, Oscar history shows that a director whose film won best picture but lost the director category can still return to win with a sequel. Francis Ford Coppola achieved this when he lost best director for “The Godfather” (1972) but won the category with “The Godfather Part II” (1974), which took home six Oscars that night, including best picture. Could the “Gladiator” franchise follow a similar playbook? An adapted screenplay nom would be crucial, but that category is already overflowing with candidates.

“Gladiator II” could also be a favorite with the Actors Branch. Washington’s fun and sinister portrayal of the villainous Macrinus, a former slave who plots to control Rome, stands as one of his most charismatic and riveting performances. Rocking the most jaw-dropping costume fits and a pair of hypnotizing earrings, his work harks back to his second Oscar win as the corrupt narcotics officer Alonzo in “Training Day.”

Villain roles have traditionally performed well in the supporting actor category, with past winners such as Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”), Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”) and Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight”). Washington came close to securing a third Oscar fairly recently with his self-directed role in “Fences” (2016), only to come up short to Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea,” even after winning the SAG Award. However, with a seemingly thinner roster of contenders and no clear frontrunner emerging, Washington could be positioned as the new favorite to take it all. At a minimum, he might also be able to clinch his first BAFTA nomination after more than 50 films and countless snubs.

“Gladiator II” opens in theaters on Nov. 22 from Paramount.