One of the movies that has generated the most anticipation since it was announced is Gladiator 2, the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's film starring Russel Crowe. Now, twenty-four years later, the phenomenon returns with the sequel, which features Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in the main cast.

"From director Ridley Scott, here is the official trailer for  Gladiator II," announced the movie's official social media account on platforms like Twitter. Alongside Mescal and Pascal, the movie's cast includes Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger, and it premieres in theaters on November 22nd.

Written by David Scarpa based on a story he created with Peter Craig, the  Gladiator sequel takes place years after the original movie. Years after witnessing the death of the beloved hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucio (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after witnessing the conquest of his home by the tyrannical emperors who rule Rome with an iron fist.

With a heart overflowing with fury and the future of the empire at stake, Lucio must recall his past in search of the strength and honor that will restore to the people the lost glory of Rome.

Douglas Wick, Scott, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, and David Franzoni are the movie's producers, while Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Raymond Kirk, and Aidan Elliott serve as executive producers.

Another big premiere

On the same day as the release of Gladiator 2, the original movie based on the Broadway musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo premieres as well. According to the official description of this sequel to the classic, Wicked tells the story of how a woman with emerald green skin becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

Alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the cast also includes Bowen Yang (Fire Island), Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman), Marissa Bode, Bronwyn James, Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians), Ethan Slater and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton).

There is often more than one side to every story, and  Wicked is precisely  the dark side of the classic The Wizard of Oz. Instead of having young Dorothy as the protagonist, the movie revolves around Elphaba and Galinda, telling their own version of the story that will later become the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch.

Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was a revelation for fans of  The Wizard of Oz when it was published in the 90s. Its contemporary look at the characters nearly 100 years after the original movie caught the attention of Broadway and had a musical adaptation by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman that was a huge success.

It was only a matter of time before the film adaptation arrived, which has undergone several attempts over the past few years. Finally, the project resulted in  an ambitious production that will be divided into two parts.

Director Jon M. Chu explained the decision to split the movie into two to the fans, also through his social media accounts. Chu explained how massive the pre-production phase could be in a project like this, adding that  a single movie would harm this grand narrative.

"We decided to have a larger canvas and make not just one  Wicked movie, but two! With more space, we can tell the story of  Wicked as it was meant to be told, while providing even more depth and surprise to the journeys these beloved characters embark on," he detailed.

"As we tried to shorten songs or cut characters, those decisions started to seem fatal compromises to the original material that has entertained us all for so many years," Chu expressed in an open letter published a few months ago.

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence