‘Gladiator 2’ Sends Ridley Scott, Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal into the Oscar Race; First Reactions Call Sequel ‘Epic’ and ‘Absolute Sicko Sh-t’
variety.comClayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Are you not entertained by this year’s exciting and unpredictable Oscar race? Well, you should be because Ridley Scott‘s epic and potentially huge blockbuster sequel, “Gladiator II,” has exploded onto the scene following its first screening in Los Angeles in front of an audience of AMPAS and SAG voters.
The long-awaited sequel to best picture winner “Gladiator” (2000) is igniting the spark for Scott, its three-time Oscar-nominated director, to be in the running to win his long-coveted Academy Award.
Additionally, his stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington are now contenders in their respective acting races. After picking up his first best actor Oscar nomination for “Aftersun” (2022), Mescal could find himself back in the category for his “Gladiator II” leading role.
Meanwhile, Washington, who already has two acting Oscars, could be in contention for a third, potentially joining a small list of three-time acting winners, including Frances McDormand, Jack Nicholson, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
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