The word around the campfire is that Paul Mescal may be a bit of a problem in Gladiator II.
Friendo: “Critics are going to be too scared to say he’s terrible in the movie but two [fellows] I spoke to tell me he has zero range and is incredibly miscast.”
HE: “Because he’s…what. too dweeby or peculiar? Not macho enough?”
Friendo: “They’re telling me Mescal is not as muscular or intense a presence as Russell Crowe was. [They’re also saying that] Denzel is far and away the best in show.”
I asked a certain thorny and contentious film guy, whom I assume has seen Gladiator II (although I don’t know this for a fact), whether or not this assessment is fair. His response: “Fuck off.”
Film guy #2: “NOT. AT. ALL. I was actually surprised how good he was, immediately putting him in the Best Actor race when I didn’t expect to. Talked to a few Oscar voters there who loved it and him. I know you don’t like him so you may not go in with an open mind. He is strong in this, even reminding me in a couple of shots of Spartacus-era Kirk Douglas.”
Paul Mescal tells the story of meeting Denzel Washington for the first time on the set of ‘GLADIATOR ll’
(via @TheGNShow)
pic.twitter.com/YihFw1mbUy— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 26, 2024
