Paramount screens 'Gladiator 2' as Disney gives R rating — Lifestyle — Headline News – News from Nigeria and the world
On Thursday, Paramount Pictures released a gory first look at Gladiator 2 after Disney gave an unusual R-rated presentation to theater bosses on the final day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
On Thursday, Paramount Pictures released a gory first look at Gladiator 2 after Disney gave an unusual R-rated presentation to theater bosses on the final day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
An extended trailer for the long-awaited Gladiator sequel finds star Paul Mescal, egged on by Denzel Washington's shadowy advisors, into a Colosseum filled with rhinos, bloodthirsty baboons, and even a floating Roman warship .
“It's probably going to be more extraordinary than the last one,” director Ridley Scott said via video link.
The film received enthusiastic acclaim at CinemaCon, an annual gathering where Hollywood studios showcase their upcoming releases to movie theater owners and managers around the world.
Ridley Scott's sequel will hit theaters in November, nearly 25 years after the release of the original Oscar-winning historical blockbuster Gladiator.
All week long, a marble statue promoting “Gladiator 2” has been on display on the casino floor of Caesars Palace, the Roman-themed casino and hotel in Las Vegas that hosts CinemaCon.
In the previous film, the main characters played by Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix were killed off, and new actors will take their place.
Mescal plays the gladiator Lucius, the nephew of Phoenix's villainous Emperor, who appeared briefly as a child in the original film.
Pedro Pascal plays a military general, and Denzel Washington's mysterious character is seen in extended footage plotting the overthrow of the Roman Empire.
“Rome must fall. A boost is enough,” he says in one scene.
The lavish presentation drew cheers even as both Paramount and the big-screen film industry face uncertain times.
The parent company of Paramount, one of Hollywood's oldest film studios, is currently in merger talks with Skydance, a media company founded by the billionaire Ellison family.
Meanwhile, Hollywood's overall box office revenue is expected to decline in 2024, largely due to film production cancellations and postponements due to last year's actors and writers' strike.
On Thursday, Paramount executives also announced plans for titles such as “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Smile 2,” “Transformers One” and the new comedy “IF,” directed by John Krasinski and starring Ryan Reynolds. was also shown.
Paramount Pictures head Brian Robbins joked about the merger talks, hinting that one of his executives had launched a crowdfunding Kickstarter campaign to buy the studio.
– Rated Disney –
Later Thursday, Disney wrapped up CinemaCon with its own star-studded presentation, but with an unexpectedly adult twist.
This showcase featured appearances by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is promoting “Moana 2,” which will be released in November of this year, and Amy Poehler, who will be returning to “Inside Head 2” this June.
Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning director of “Moonlight,'' previewed the animated prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King,'' which will be released in theaters in December.
Disney has released footage of Harrison Ford, who will be making his Marvel superhero movie debut in next year's Captain America: A Brave New World.
But the family-friendly studio's presentation deviated from its usual script with a glimpse of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Disney's first R-rated superhero film.
The film teams up Reynolds' foul-mouthed antihero with Hugh Jackman's beloved “X-Men” star.
Both characters were previously owned by 20th Century Fox.
However, Disney acquired the rival studio and its assets in 2019 and is now incorporating them into its wildly popular Marvel film series.
The result was a Disney superhero film that featured adult language, explicit sexual references, and several meta jokes about the studio itself.
Source: guardian.ng