Barry Keoghan is in talks to star in the upcoming Gladiator sequel directed by Ridley Scott, and he could be playing a real-life historical figure.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Keoghan might be cast as Emperor Geta, a Roman emperor who ruled from the year 209-211. Although he’s playing a real historical figure, the upcoming sequel won’t be based on real-world events.
It was previously reported that Scott had announced that the script for the Gladiator sequel is complete and has a release date of November 22, 2024. In addition, it was announced that Paul Mescal had been cast as the lead in the upcoming film. Mescal is best known for his work on the Hulu series Normal people and for starring in the acclaimed movie Aftersun.
Not much is known about the Gladiator sequel plot other than Mescal will be playing Lucius, the son of Lucilla and nephew to Commodus. The original Gladtior film was released in 2000 and featured Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus. It had grossed over $460 million worldwide and won five Academy Awards.
As of late, Keoghan has been keeping busy with work. It was reported that there was a possible chance to reprise his role as the Joker from The Batman somewhere down the line in an Arkham series. On top of that, Keoghan is set to star in a film retelling the story of Billy the Kid.
Luis Joshua Gutierrez is a freelance writer who loves games. You can reach him at @ImLuisGutierrez on Twitter.
