Barry Keoghan‘s resume is just getting better and better, and now, the Oscar-nominated actor, could potentially be adding yet another illustrious project to his list. Keoghan is apparently in talks to star in the sequel to the 2000 critical and commercial hit, Gladiator.
The sequel will see Ridley Scott return as director, with Paul Mescal already set to take the lead. It seems that sequels with huge time gaps between the first film and the second film are becoming all the rage (see: Top Gun: Maverick), which proves that waiting for the right time to strike with the right story can really pay off. Let’s hope the same can be said of the sequel for Gladiator given that the first film earned over $460 million at the worldwide box office and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning five.
Keoghan, coming off his recent Oscar nomination for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, is really making strides in Hollywood and would be adding the Gladiator sequel to his already impressive resume that also includes Dunkirk, Chernobyl, and his role in Marvel’s Eternals. As reported by Deadline, the actor is reportedly in talks to play Emperor Geta. Emperor Geta was a real figure in Ancient Rome and served as Emperor from 209 – 211AD.
Scott is not the only one returning to the world of Gladiator, with costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max also coming back for a second round. Scott will also produce, along with Scott Free President Michael Pruss and Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher via Red Wagon Entertainment. The script has been written by David Scarpa.