Paramount Pictures has unveiled a new behind-the-scenes featurette for Gladiator II, the long-awaited sequel to the  classic, Oscar-winning 2000 film, Gladiator. The promo video, which runs for two minutes and 15 seconds, contains a significant amount new footage from the drama.

The featurette, which is subtitled Making an Epic, also contains behind-the-scenes glimpses into the follow-up’s shoot. The movie’s cast and director, Ridley Scott, discuss their experience shooting on the sets, on which thousands of crew members brought Ancient Rome to life.

Gladiator II serves as a legacy sequel, as it’s a direct continuation of its predecessor. The new film follows Lucius, the son of Maximus’s love Lucilla, after Maximus’s death. Lucius also ends up fighting in the Colosseum.

The upcoming drama stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal as the Emperoro Marcus Acacius and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla. The follow-up also features Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, and Derek Jacobi.

While discussing the upcoming project, Washington noted: “This is the biggest film I’ve been on. It’s huge! Cecil B. DeMille on steroids!”

Gladiator II, which is set decades after the events of Gladiator, follows Lucius – the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla – lives with his wife and child in Numidia. Roman soldiers led by general Marcus Acacius invade, forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by Maximus, Lucius will fight as a gladiator while opposing the rule of the young emperors Caracalla and Geta (Hechinger and Quinn).

Like the original movie, Scott returned to the Gladiator series to helm the sequel. The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker has stated that he’s already intent on turning the franchise into a trilogy.

Scott said: “I’m already playing with the idea of Gladiator III. No, seriously. The end of Gladiator II evokes that of The Godfather, with Michael Corleone who ends up with a job he didn’t want, and who wonders, ‘And now, Father, what am I doing?’ The next film therefore will speak of a man who does not want to be where he is.”

The follow-up’s screenplay was written by David Scarpa, who based the story on characters created by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson. Gladiator II was produced by Scott, Michael Pruss, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and David Franzoni. Paramount will release the movie in theaters nationwide on November 22.