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[IDKFA]

Let's not pretend that isn't because there are black people in the film.

Really? The first film had Djimon Hounsou in the cast. Nobody said shit about him being in the film at the time or now.

 

[Dr. Samuel Hayden]

The concept of a Gladiator sequel is laughable. The story was done in the first movie. This is just more of hollywood's creative bankruptcy on full display.

Also, Pedro Pascal needs to fuck off. Sick to death of seeing this clown everywhere.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Denzel with an American accent conquers Rome eh.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Really? The first film had Djimon Hounsou in the cast. Nobody said shit about him being in the film at the time or now.

Sure, but culture has changed significantly in the decades since the original film, for the worse in these matters.

 

[12Goblins]

They really called it gladiator 2

 

[SirKicksalot]

The Nick Cave script had a mock naval battle, I'm glad we get this on screen. But it looked like sharks in the trailer.

 

[winjer]

They really called it gladiator 2

They should have called it "Gladiator 2: Electric Boogaloo"

 

[DeafTourette]

Really? The first film had Djimon Hounsou in the cast. Nobody said shit about him being in the film at the time or now.

And his character was minor and a slave. He was only there to teach the lead. It's been so long I don't remember if he died or lived at the end.

Denzel's character is rich and wants revenge on the Caesar of this time (played by Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn ... The best character in last season) and partners with The Spaniard's son (Russell Crow) to bring it about.

 

[Lukaku's First Touch]

This looks great, buuuut terrible as a sequel to one of the greatest movies ever.

Main actor looks terrible.

 

[DeafTourette]

They did care about skin color and they wrote about it. There wasn't discrimination similar to Jim Crow laws. Or slavery that targeted one specific race group.
But there were references to race. And there were cases of open racist and violence.

For example, Pliny the Elder at one point described the characteristics or northern Europeans. South Europeans. And Africans.
He was a bit derisive of northern Europeans. He praised southern Europeans, as one expects, considering he was one. And he was more critical of Africans.

I also remember a situation when a Roman legion was getting ready to march out to battle in a town in North Africa.
At the exit there was a black African man and he started cheering for the Romans.
The Romans looked at this skin at considered it a bad omen, beat him and killed him on the spot.
And this was not some random exception.

Let's also remember that some of the roles in which each gladiator was trained in, was dependent on the race of the individual.

So although Romans didn't have the same concept of racism we have today, they did see skin color and often discriminated against it.

Right. Also, most people DO NOT know that ancient Rome reached out past Egypt in Africa. Having an African slave in ancient Rome was ok back when the first one came out but a RICH black man in ancient Rome? That might be a sore spot for the people that believe "Ancient Rome is OUR history... There weren't any *expletives* there back then! This is ahistorical!"

Also, ask anyone who isn't a super hardcore nerd/geek about history and " accuracy " as it pertains to film... As long as it looks like what they have been conditioned to believe is what Ancient Rome looked like (without knowing about the difference between one age and another), they'll accept it.

We are the minority when it comes to these deep cuts. Most people don't care as long as it looks accurate enough.

 

[ManaByte]

So although Romans didn't have the same concept of racism we have today, they did see skin color and often discriminated against it.

The character Denzel is playing eventually does become Emperor. The real person was from Algeria.

 

[winjer]

The character Denzel is playing eventually does become Emperor. The real person was from Algeria.

I honestly thought he was just a merchant or ambassador from an African empire. Like Nubia or Aksum.

It doesn't make sense to have a black Roman emperor from a region from northern African region.
Which emperor is he playing as?

 

[EviLore]

I honestly thought he was just a merchant or ambassador from an African empire. Like Nubia or Aksum.

It doesn't make sense to have a black Roman emperor from a region from northern African region.
Which emperor is he playing as?

Marcus Opellius Macrinus

 

[dEvAnGeL]

I lost it when Denzel says “POWA”

 

[ahtlas7]

Visually looks good but that music. They should have played "Not like us" or something


Well I think it was pretty successful? Though I did not even know that there was a continuation of "Leonidas and his gym bros vs the woke crowd".

300: Rise of an Empire, was successful but made almost $120 mil less than 300 at box office alone.

 

[MujkicHaris]

Trailer fails to fulfill its purpose: To make me wanna stop doing everything and watch the movie; it's supposed to be a call to action.
I love rap but it doesn't mesh well with the theme. Not good. Uninspired.

 

[thefool]

The music in this trailer is one of the most preposterous things i remember.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Let's not pretend that isn't because there are black people in the film.

What the fuck?

 

[Audiophile]

Piss filtered tack sharp digital. Should be on 35mm to have at least some aesthetic coherence with the original. Sets and lighting are great but the lack of texture just makes it feel cheap. Even the shutter seems off.

Lead (Paul Mescal) has the charisma, aesthetic and stature of a damp paper bag.

I feel like Pedro is in everything and I've kinda had enough. Denzel fits surprisingly well though.

Glad to see Lucilla had access to fillers 2200 years ago.

Trailer is complete overload and I feel like I've seen everything I need to, the music choice is awful and I feel numb. Also, why are multibillion dollar studios still releasing trailers in 1080p on YouTube with a poorly prepared encode? Yet, there's an actual real 4K one on some random newspaper channel.

 

[DeafTourette]

I honestly thought he was just a merchant or ambassador from an African empire. Like Nubia or Aksum.

It doesn't make sense to have a black Roman emperor from a region from northern African region.
Which emperor is he playing as?

There were plenty of black people in northern Africa (as well as Egypt). It's in the artwork of the region that many of the people were black. Yes, in Egypt too.

Anyway, he was descended from the Berbers in the region now known as Algeria.

 

[Audiophile]

Ridley's said himself his ethos now is turn up, do the job and move on. I don't feel like his heart has been in it for a good ten plus years. Props to him for still working into his late 80s when he's well set, but there's just a stench of mediocrity about all of his stuff now. His last truly great film was American Gangster (2007).

I don't really get the need to keep returning to his old stuff when he clearly lacks the magic to do them justice anymore. Denis Villeneuve did a far more impressive job than I would expect of Ridley on BR2049, yet he expressed that he wishes he did it himself -- if he means that in terms of thinking he could do a better job then I'd argue his judgement is way off as the vast majority of BR fans received it very well. It's a perfect legacy sequel.

Ridley has two strengths, very competent direction with strong source material or in other cases, being a world builder. In the case of the world building, there's little need for him to return as the world has been built and it's usually better served by fresh takes on those worlds (or for them not being revisited at all).

 

[winjer]

There were plenty of black people in northern Africa (as well as Egypt). It's in the artwork of the region that many of the people were black. Yes, in Egypt too.

Anyway, he was descended from the Berbers in the region now known as Algeria.

Yes, but in small percentages.
Egypt is a special case, because at any given point in time, it could be ruled by the lower Egypt or by the upper Egypt.
So there were times when some pharaohs were basically Nubians.

 

[DeafTourette]

Yes, but in small percentages.
Egypt is a special case, because at any given point in time, it could be ruled by the lower Egypt or by the upper Egypt.
So there were times when some pharaohs were basically Nubians.

Especially before Greece conquered and dethroned the royalty

 

[AJUMP23]

Let's not pretend that isn't because there are black people in the film.

Are we mad about the race of some actor or something, or are you accusing people of being mad about the race of an actor?

 

[ahtlas7]

Sure, but culture has changed significantly in the decades since the original film, for the worse in these matters.

Djimon Hounsou‘s character was woven like fine silk into the script to give him reason and history. Gladiator story would suffer without Juba, a great supporting character. I hope Gladiator 2 script is handled with as much care so I can enjoy ALL the characters.

 

[winjer]

Especially before Greece conquered and dethroned the royalty

With an ancient empire that lasted 5 thousand years, the Ptolemaic dynasty is almost a blip.
Let's remember that Cleopatra is closer in time to us, than she was to the Great Pyramids.

BTW, a thing that is disappointing is that so many people ignore the Aksum empire of that same era.
At the time, it was one of the biggest, most powerful and influential empires in the world, along side the Rome, Iran (Persia) and China.

 

[DeafTourette]

Are we mad about the race of some actor or something, or are you accusing people of being mad about the race of an actor?

I don't think he's talking about here on GAF but there ARE a lot of people who don't know how racially mixed Ancient Rome was ... Not to mention he was a black Roman emperor... MOST people were never taught such a thing in HS ... They think Rome was all Caucasian.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Are we mad about the race of some actor or something, or are you accusing people of being mad about the race of an actor?

The latter. No way with the current culture that a significant portion of the negative shit the film is already getting isn't because of it.

 

[SJRB]

There's no way Ridley signed off on the music in that trailer, holy shit.

Movie looks grandiose and spectacular so I'm 100% in, but that was not a good trailer.

Also lol at Denzel channeling Alonzo from Training Day.

 

[Fake]

They really called it gladiator 2

Better than Gladiator part 2.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

What the fuck is that trailer music and how the hell does it fit in with the theme of this movie ?!!!

I'll most definitely won't go watch. Gladiator is one of my all time favourites. This looks like fan made shit.

 

[INC]

The trailer soundtrack is straight trash

This looks alright, but really clutching to milk the original story

 

[SidViscous]

They really called it gladiator 2

They wanted to use roman numerals but were worried American's would think they missed the last 9 movies.

 

[IDKFA]

And his character was minor and a slave. He was only there to teach the lead. It's been so long I don't remember if he died or lived at the end.

He was an important character. He not only lived, but is the last character we see in the very last scene of the film.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

 

[jonnyp]

This is a joke, surely? Training Day in Ancient Rome?

 

[Mr1999]

Looks like a lot of fun, can't wait.

 

[Tokio Blues]

They replaced the original Lucius with CGI. What is this shit?

 

[Madflavor]

Whoever thought it was a good idea to put rap music in a trailer for Gladiator should be dragged outside to the nearest dumpster and thrown in.

 

[Lord Panda]

Missed opportunity to bring in Ethan Hawke as a mature-age rookie gladiator.

 

[jason10mm]

Denzel with an American accent conquers Rome eh.

We need Mel Gibson to make a gladiator film with impeccable historical accuracy and everyone speaking ancient italian.

 

[R6Rider]

Actual film doesn't seem too bad, but a bad choice of music and doesn't fit at all.

 

[violence]

They really called it gladiator 2

2 emperors and 2 gladiators?


I like Pedro Pascal, but typecasting him as a gladiator is a groaner. Only worth doing if he dies in the first scene. Even better, don’t put him in the movie at all.

 

[Madflavor]

They replaced the original Lucius with CGI. What is this shit?

Why even bother doing that? I don't understand.

 

[AJUMP23]

Why even bother doing that? I don't understand.

Kid grew up.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

This looks dumb, even for "historical fantasy" just short of having dragons or monsters ala 300. The musical choice speaks volumes about what you can expect from this.

 

[Gp1]

Is this the UBISOFT take on first one?

Anyway i like gangsta Denzel in it. And the composer for movie is Harry Gregson-Williams (some recent Riddley movies and, of course, Metal Gear)

 

[FeralEcho]

Denzel with an American accent conquers Rome eh.

I wonder how often Denzel thinks of the Roman Empire?!

 

[Madflavor]

Kid grew up.

Gotcha. I forgot they're going to have new scenes with young Lucious. Honestly the rap music was so fucking jarring it made me forget about the first half of the trailer.

 

[AJUMP23]

Should have used “x” gonna give it to you.