TV heartthrob, indie film hero, savior of Rome and now … producer. Paul Mescal may be Hollywood’s newest blockbuster leading man thanks to Ridley Scott’s epic sequel “Gladiator II,” but the young Irish actor is already taking his first steps behind the camera. On “The History of Sound,” the LGBTQ romance drama announced back in […]

Denzel Washington revealed in a video interview with Gayety that he kissed a man on the lips while filming “Gladiator II,” but the scene was cut out from the theatrical cut of the long-awaited sequel. The Oscar winner stars in Ridley Scott’s film as Macrinus, a wealthy powerbroker in Rome who keeps a stable of […]

“Gladiator II” may have taken over two decades to come to fruition, but star Paul Mescal is already thinking about a third installment of Ridley Scott’s epic. When asked by Variety at the film’s London premiere if he’d want to make “Gladiator 3,” Mescal didn’t hesitate. “Oh yeah, massively down,” he said. “I don’t think […]

Ridley Scott had one directive for production designer Arthur Max on “Gladiator II”: “I want to go big. I want to imply the grandeur of the Roman Empire,” he told the veteran artisan. Max, who has been Scott’s go-to production designer for over two decades, delivered a concept that he calls “‘Gladiator’ on steroids.” For […]

“Gladiator” director Ridley Scott recently told The New York Times (via Entertainment Weekly) that Russell Crowe said Joaquin Phoenix was being “terribly unprofessional” on set when Phoenix was getting cold feet and had to be convinced to stay on the movie. Crowe headlined “Gladiator” as Maximus, with Phoenix starring as the villainous Commodus. Both actors […]

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual […]