Gladiator 2 Footage Pits Paul Mescal Against a Rhino

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated Oct 23, 2024 2:00 PM ET

“They killed people for fun,” says Gladiator II director Ridley Scott in the new featurette for his upcoming movie. And it does look like a lot of fun.

The short, behind-the-scenes mini-doc below reveals a bunch of never-before-scenes from the movie, including an extended look at the rhino fight sequence.

Here, Paul Mescal’s character Lucius takes on a fully grown rhino in the colosseum, only to be sent spinning through the air after suffering a nasty charge.

Paramount

There’s plenty of off-camera activities too, including a legion of devoted extras practicing their sword techniques in unison, and Mescal being put through his paces with extensive fight choreography. The blades may be wooden, but the grit is real.

And keep watching to the end for a brief glimpse of Denzel Washington, decked in a glorious gold cloak and riding a white stallion while brandishing a sword. “Pedro and Paul got beat up by the best,” he says with a smile. Something suggests he’s the one doing some of the beating up.

Gladiator II releases in the UK on November 15, 2024 and in the US and Canada on November 22, 2024.