Denzel Washington Explains Why He Accepted His Gladiator 2 Role Only4Media.com

Posted on Views: 30
[ad_1]

Summary

  • Denzel Washington reveals that there aren’t many films he’s truly ”
    interested in
    ” making anymore, but he was ”
    inspired by

    Gladiator 2
    director Ridley Scott.
  • Washington and Scott previously worked together on
    American Gangster
    , and Washington says that the director is still very creatively energized.
  • Washington plays Macrinus in
    Gladiator 2
    , an arms dealer who could play a similar role in the story to Oliver Reed’s Proximo from the original film.



Gladiator 2 star Denzel Washinton explains why he accepted a role in Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel. Serving as a follow-up to 2000’s Gladiator, Scott’s anticipated historical epic takes place 20 years after Maximus’ death, following Paul Mescal’s Lucius as he becomes a fighter in the Colosseum. The Gladiator 2 cast features a mix of newcomers and actors from the original, including Washington as Macrinus, who has been described as a wealthy arms dealer who also owns a host of gladiator fighters.

In a recent interview with Empire, Washington touches on his decision to join Gladiator 2, revealing that Scott himself is a major reason why he took on the role. According to the actor, he feels he’s now at a point in his career where there aren’t many films he’s truly “interested in” making, but working with Scott was reason enough to take on the part of Macrinus. Check out Washington’s comment below:


“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley. We had a great go-round the first go-round [on
American Gangster
], and here we are. He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration. We should all want to feel like that at 86.”

2007’s
American Gangster
was a success critically and commercially, and it was nominated for two Oscars.


Who Is Denzel Washington’s Character In Gladiator 2?

Macrinus Could Be A Crucial Figure In The Story

Macrinus (Denzel Washington) seated in a golden chair and looking thoughtful in Gladiator 2


While relatively little has been revealed about Washigton’s Macrinus, the description of his character as an arms dealer and someone who traffics in gladiators is telling. Like any sequel that comes more than two decades after its predecessor, Gladiator 2 will have the challenging job of recapturing the magic of the original while also feeling fresh and new. Macrinus seemingly occupies an important role in this regard.

Related

6 Biggest Characters Missing From Gladiator 2

Despite being a direct sequel, Gladiator II’s cast is missing several important surviving characters from the original 2000 film.


From what’s been revealed thus far, Macrinus is a character very much like Oliver Reed’s Proximo from 2000’s Gladiator. Proximo is essentially a former slave who worked his way up to becoming a wealthy slave owner, and eventually becomes something of a mentor to Maximus. It’s entirely possible that Macrinus will occupy a similar role for Lucius. Real history also, however, tells us more about how Washington’s character could factor into the sequel’s story.

Macrinus was involved in a plot to assassinate a Roman emperor before ascending to the position himself, suggesting that Washington’s Gladiator 2 character could actually end up playing a far more prominent and important role than Proximo did in the original. Macrinus is evidently a character with a great deal of historical and potential storytelling importance, and this context certainly could be part of why Washington agreed to play him. While many questions remain about Gladiator 2, it will certainly be exciting to see Washington and Scott collaborating once more.


Source: Empire

[ad_2]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *