Denzel Washington has revealed that Gladiator II originally included a scene where he kissed another male character on the lips, but it was cut from the movie as, in his words, "they got chicken." The actor is one of the many big names appearing in the Ridley Scott-directed epic sequel, and he was happy to share some behind the scenes details about his highly anticipated appearance in what is expected to be one of the biggest movies of the year.
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The new detail from Washington has opened up the age-old debate over representation of same-sex relationships and gay characters in historical movies. It has been well documented that Romans and many other ancient civilizations openly had relationships with members of the same gender, and while some fictional movies and shows with a historical context have pushed into this territory, it seems that Washington believes the scene was cut from Gladiator II for reasons other than reducing the film's runtime.
During an interview with Gayety, Washington was asked how gay he believes the Roman Empire really was, as there are scenes in Gladiator II that clearly suggest his character of Macrinus has previously had relationships with men. After laughing and asking if that meant "the whole empire", he responded:
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"I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken. I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren't ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It's Gladiator. It's the kiss of death."
Denzel Washington's Involvement in Gladiator II Has Elevated the Sequel Close
As one of the greatest actors of a generation, Denzel Washington's name being attached to any role immediately makes people sit up and pay attention. His role in Gladiator II is no exception, and when it was announced that he would be playing one of the film's ruthless villains, it became clear that Ridley Scott was once again crafting something special for his sequel.
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For the actor, though, his ego is not something that has ever overtaken him, and for that reason, he believes that whatever success comes to the movie is all down to the incredible dedication put in by Scott. Taking part in a Q&A session last month, Washington praised the director, saying:
"He built Rome, so all we had to do was put the clothes on and start talking. It was play. You know, it's fun. Just put the gear on and go. That's the way I looked at it. I'm like, I'm putting this dress on, these rings, and I'm going crazy."
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The Oscar winner also revealed details about his plans to retire from acting.
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While Scott made it easy for his stars to feel like they were in Rome, the film is clearly a hugely collaborative effort from all involved, and so far it seems to be paying off. Early reactions have seen the buzz of awards and box office gold being frequently mentioned in the same sentence as the movie, and even though Gladiator II is opening against another big movie in Wicked, it seems that there is enough interest to mean it is not about to be a sequel that disappoints.
4/5 Gladiator II Not Yet RatedActionDramaEpicHistoryAdventure
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott's award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
Release Date November 22, 2024 Director Ridley Scott Cast Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz Main Genre Adventure Writers David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures prequel(s) Gladiator Character(s) Lucius Verus , Marcus Acacius , Macrinus , Lucilla , Emperor Caracalla , Emperor Geta , Gracchus Expand