BAFTA-winner and Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan is in negotiations to join a currently untitled “Gladiator” sequel, Variety reported Thursday.
Should Keoghan move forward with the project, he’ll join fellow Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal, who has already signed on to join the Ridley Scott reprisal, according to Variety. Mescal will star in the film, which apparently isn’t a prequel nor a straight sequel. Details about the plot are being kept seriously under wraps.
Both Keoghan and Mescal are on their way to star status with recent projects. Keoghan was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and stunned audiences after his reveal as The Joker in “The Batman,” Variety continued. His career also spans movies and shows such as “Dunkirk” and “Chernobyl.”
Let’s just chuck it in the bin and start over https://t.co/iQimxMLWH1
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 20, 2022
Mescal is best known for his role in “Normal People,” and was also nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Aftersun.” The duo would be quite the team to take on a “Gladiator” sequel. The original movie was nominated for 12 Oscars and won five, Variety noted. (RELATED: WarnerBros Spent $90 Million Producing A ‘Batgirl’ Movie That’s So Bad, They Decided Not To Release It)
Paramount and Universal have a joint deal where both studios will co-produce the movie, according to another Variety report. The latter doesn’t expect the film to be through production and into theaters until November 22, 2024. David Scarpa is writing the script, and Scott will also produce.