The forthcoming “Gladiator 2,” which is scheduled for a 2024 release, follows Lucius (Mescal), the now-adult son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who is also set to appear in the film. Lucius befriends Maximus (Russell Crow) in the original movie, and he’ll follow Maximus’ footsteps by duking it out against members of the animal kingdom. In “Gladiator,” Maximum battles against Tigris of Gaul, plus some tigers for good measure.
Scott insists that baboons are an equally terrifying opponent. “Baboons are carnivores,” the director continued in the same New Yorker interview. The primates are also considerably more acrobatic than human gladiators. “Can you hang from that roof for two hours by your left leg? No! A baboon can.”
It’s unclear if the baboons will be sicced on other cast members, including Denzel Washington, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Pedro Pascal, and “Stranger Things” star Joseph Quinn. For some fans, Mescal’s involvement is more than sufficient. “I can tell you right now that if [P]aul [M]escal does hand-to-hand combat with a pack of baboons then best picture 2025 is locked and loaded,” @galifianapkins wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
