At the premiere of "Alien: Romulus" on August 12, the 86-year-old director exclusively told PEOPLE what fans can expect from the sequel to the May 2000 original.
"It's as good as the first movie," Scott tells PEOPLE. "I didn't say better. It's just as good," the director added.
"Gladiator II" is due in theaters on November 22, 2024, with Paul Mescal in the lead role and Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington in supporting roles.
The first "Gladiator" won five Oscars in 2001, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Crowe).
The film follows the story of Maximus (Russell Crowe), a Roman general who falls victim to a coup carried out by the evil Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
Maximus is forced into slavery and fights his way as a gladiator to get revenge on Commodus, who killed his family.
"Gladiator II" will continue the previous events as Commodus' nephew, Lucius (Mescal), will continue the battle.
"I thought [the first] film was a perfectly satisfactory, creatively complete film, so why mess with it, right?" said Scott to Deadline in November 2023. "But these cycles have gone on and on and on, repeating themselves globally over the last 20 years. It started to look like the obvious thing to do, and so the idea evolved."
Paramount Pictures released the film's trailer in July. Fans were able to see the moment when Mescal's Lucius steps into the fighting ring at the Coliseum in a gladiatorial battle with a rhinoceros. | BGNES
