Paramount Pictures has shared the first proper poster for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, and it features Paul Mescal as Lucius preparing for battle in the Colosseum. It was also announced that the first trailer for the film is going to be released tomorrow, so stay tuned for that! I’ve already watched the trailer, and I’m excited to see what audiences think of it. The story takes place years after Maximus gave his life, upending the leadership of the decadent and corrupt society. The sequel centers on Lucius, the son of Lucilla, and nephew of Commodus, the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who murdered his father and seized the throne. Commodus met his downfall in the gladiator ring against Maximus, who despite being mortally wounded, took down the emperor before passing on to reunite with his family. Maximus had saved Lucius and his mother, leaving a lasting impact on the young boy.It’s explained that “decades have passed and Lucius has come of age far away from his mother. While he was still a child, Lucilla sent him to the northern coast of Africa, to a region called Numidia that was (at that point) just outside the reach of the Roman Empire. “Gladiator II begins with Mescal’s Lucius living a peaceful life with his wife and child until conquerors from his homeland begin to encroach. Scott says: “The film begins with the raiding party of the Roman fleet, which comes in from the sea and decimates Numidia. It’s pretty gnarly.”Lucius eventually finds himself a prisoner that is taken to Rome, and there he has to fight in the Colosseum. Scott explains how this plays out: “The wrinkle is, when he gets to Rome as a prisoner and has a first round in the arena, he sees his mother—to his shock.” The film also stars Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla, Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta, and Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius.The movie hits theaters on November 22nd!