‘Gladiator II’ is likely to draw a hoard of horny tourists to experience the Roman Empire anew.

The first thing we see in the new trailer forGladiator IIis aradiantly smile Denzel Washingtonwith gold hoop earring in his ears . It ’s his signature tune impish grinning , and it is the cherry tree on top of a glorious , brawn - filledSunday . The moving-picture show is Ridley Scott ’s epic , crashing follow - up to 2000’sGladiatorand star Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , and Joseph Quinn .

The flick follows Lucius ( Mescal ) , the former heir to the Roman Empire , as he becomes a prizefighter follow the R.C. intrusion of his home . The laggard make it seem like the film takes some of the original concepts of the first film and puts them on steroid hormone . Instead of just fights in the famed Roman Colosseum , there are full - on engagement with rhinoceroses . or else of fights submit place solely on the field ’s dirt solid ground , the Colosseum will be filled with boats , piss , and sharks !

While the logistics of such a fight definitely profit from Hollywood magic , this water fighting scene was based on actual historic battles callednaumachiae , which were staged naval battles confine in the Roman Colosseum . They really did fill that stadium with body of water , gravy holder , and fighters and arrest chaotic , heart - barricade battle sequences .

A collage of Paul Mescal and a colosseum.

Design by Manali Doshi for Thrillist

But this new water scene is n’t the only reason the Colosseum is … getting wet . The prevue has opened up some newfanatics for the Roman Empire , but their focus is n’t on the dandy armies , political scandals , and aqueducts .

apply the very sultry cast , multitude now get fixations around the Roman Empire are really focusing on Mescal and Pascal ’s muscle legs in those little warrior skirts — not to mention Denzel ’s interminable good looks . Just look at some of the tweets borne from the trailer :

But this plug for the newGladiatorfilm is n’t just bringing people to theater in November or inspiring them to make exhaustingly detailed slow - motion edits of Paul Mescal row with his shirt off — the film might drive even more people to visit Rome .

If You Can’t Stop Thinking About the Roman Empire, These Airbnbs Are for You

The illustrious ancient city has already been a buzzy topic of conversation — the term " that ’s my Roman Empire " was run into the ground last year , and plenty of multitude were converting their womb-to-tomb fascination with Roman story into a trip to Rome . According toReuters , the city had the most visitors on record in 2023 , with more than 134 million mass read to stay overnight in Rome throughout the year .

" WithGladiator IIpremiering this November , it ’s no surprise that three dissimilar Colosseum tours are ranking in GetYourGuide ’s top 10 experiences book this summer and declension , " Madison Pietrowski , Director of Brand US GetYourGuide , said . " According to GetYourGuide ’s late vogue survey , over a third ( 36 % ) of Americans are inspired to visit a specific spot after seeing it on TV or in a pic . For Gladiator fans , stepping foot in the Colosseum is the ultimate way to plunge themselves into the life sentence of a prizefighter . "

If you require to visit Rome , either due toGladiator IIand Denzel ’s kilowatt smile or because you really do want to see some resplendently design aqueducts , Thrillist has some tips for you . We ’ve got a guide on how to beat the crew to visit theAncient papistical sitesyou can see in the plastic film , plus aguide to Vatican Cityif you ’re concerned in post - Empire history .

If You Can’t Stop Thinking About the Roman Empire, These Airbnbs Are for You

Have you been wanting to feel a little bit more immersed in Roman life? Here’s a great place to start.

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