Irish actor Paul Mescal is reportedly in talks to play the leading role in Ridley Scott’s sequel of Gladiator, the epic 2000 film that won five Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture. The original production also earned more than $460 million at the box office worldwide.

With a script written by David Scarpa, the sequel will also see the return of several key veterans from the original production, including costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max. That 2000 film was a co-production with Universal and DreamWorks. Universal will retain the rights to partner again when the project is ready for distribution.

Other actors who were competing for the role won by Mescal included Miles Teller, Austin Butler, Richard Madden, and Timothée Chalamet, Mescal was reported to have been an early favorite for the part.

In the original production, Russell Crowe played the leading role of Maximus, a general in the Roman army who became a gladiator.

Crowe won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance of the character, who met his demise in the film. In the upcoming sequel, Mescal would play the role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla, who has since grown into adulthood. Maximus had earlier saved Lucius and his mother during his exploits in the gladiator ring.

Spencer Treat Clark had played Lucius in the 2000 version.

Plans to produce the Gladiator sequel have been in the works since at least 2018 when Scott was wrapping up his direction of Napoleon. In that film, the leading role of Napoleon Bonaparte was played by Joaquin Phoenix, who had co-starred with Russell Crowe in the original Gladiator, playing Roman Emperor Commodus.

Mescal is best known for his role in the Hulu series Normal People, which won him an Emmy nomination. He’s also garnering critical acclaim for his appearance in Aftersun. The actor is slated for a role in Garth Davis’s upcoming Foe, which also stars Saorise Ronan.

Filming on the Gladiator sequel is expected to start later this year.

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