Ridley Scott is one of the most famous directors of our time. Films like Foreigner, Blade RunnerAnd gladiator are all irreverent film classics, and his filmography is packed with hits. But Scott believes that his latest film, the long-awaited sequel Gladiator IIis the best work he has ever done. The film takes place over a decade after the original gladiatorand stars Paul Mescal as an older Lucius (originally played by Spencer Treat Clark), who is enslaved and forced to fight in the Roman Colosseum.

Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal spoke to Empire Magazine for their latest cover story about Gladiator II. During the conversation, Ridley Scott revealed that he loves his latest directorial work. Even compared to Scott’s monolithic cinematic achievements, the director has a very high opinion of how Gladiator II piled up next to his huge catalogue of films. But soon after the award ceremony Gladiator II With the best compliment he could give, Scott added a small change when considering the extent of his filmography. The director said:

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. One of the best things. I’ve done some good ones.”

For Paul Mescal, the lead role in Gladiator II marks the beginning of a new chapter in his career. Mescal has been a regular guest star since his breakthrough role in the successful British drama Normal peopleSince then, Mescal has earned a reputation for emotionally devastating roles and appeared in Charlotte Wells’ After sun and Andrew Haigh’s We are all strangers. Scott described his new action role as “more muscular and physical” than even his most diehard fans would expect from him. He explained:

“I’ve always had a kind of latent ambition to do something that requires more muscle and body. Selfishly, I wanted to surprise the audience because I knew I had that kind of role in me. When the opportunity came, I thought, ‘This is something I don’t think anyone who’s seen my previous work would expect,’ and it’s Ridley Scott. We tried not to feel slick. You feel like their bodies are slowing down when they fight. It’s not ting-ting-ting! It’s more brutal. You feel the exhaustion.”

New pictures from Gladiator II show Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in battle

In addition to interviews with Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal, RichThe story also includes exclusive new images from Gladiator II. Alongside Mescal, the sequel also stars Pedro Pascal as Roman general Marcus Acacius. The first trailer hinted at a grueling confrontation between Lucius and Acacius, and the new images underline the grueling and “muscular” nature of the fights. Check out the new pictures below:

Gladiator II Other leading roles are played by Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, Rory McCann, Fred Hechinger and Derek Jacobi. While the first gladiator filmed its intense action in the heart of Rome, Gladiator II had to move production to another location. Ridley Scott and his crew built gigantic sets, including the Colosseum and the Imperial Palace on the island of Malta off the coast of Sicily, which Joseph Quinn described as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”