Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Connie Nielsen on why “Gladiator II” lives up to the original

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is hailed as one of the director’s best works in years. The sequel revisits the high-strung world of ancient Rome with a new generation of characters while keeping the spirit of the Oscar-winning original alive.

Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington stars as Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer hungry for power. Paul Mescal plays Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus from the original film, now trapped under Macrinus’ control. Connie Nielsen returns to her role as Lucilla, mother of Lucius and daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

“It’s about bloodline, it’s about heritage. It’s about all those things,” Mescal said. “Gladiator II is about what’s left after Gladiator I. So you have to recognize the spirit of it.”

Washington confidently stated that the successor holds its own compared to its 24-year-old predecessor.

“Gladiator II is Gladiator II,” Washington said. “It stands for itself.”

Mescal admitted he was nervous about stepping into the role and battling impostor syndrome. But he remained focused on the film’s legacy.

“We have a movie to make. We have a legacy to uphold with this movie. I have people that I admire,” Mescal said.

Working with Ridley Scott

Washington praised director Scott’s ability to bring an authentic and immersive world of ancient Rome back to life.

“It made our job easy,” Washington said. “He built Rome. So all we had to do was put the gear on, you know, affect an accent whether you want to—or not—and be.”

Mescal shared a memorable moment from the shoot in Morocco where he saw different techniques Scott used to get the actors into character.

“What (Scott) had set up — eight cameras, all the cameramen are dressed in costumes so you can’t really see them. I was like, if I can’t act in this environment, it’s game over,” Mescal said.

Nielsen described Scott’s instructional style as dynamic and ever-evolving.

“Everything is a living organism with him at all times. Everything is changed,” she said. “He wants you to bring that stuff up when you go in there. He doesn’t want you sitting around talking about it two weeks before. He wants you to bring it on set, try this, try it.”

“He’s a master at what he does. I’m pretty good at what I do, too. So there’s an understanding and a freedom,” Washington said. “Sometimes I set him up, sometimes he sets me up. It’s inspiring.”

“Gladiator II” opens in theaters November 22.