Denzel Washington Gives Us a Giggle in Gladiator II

For a trailer full of visual spectacle, two words from Denzel Washington steal the show.

There are many reasons to watch the Gladiator II trailer over and over again like Paul Mescal’s arms, Joseph Quinn’s weird little laugh, the cinematography, Pedro Pascal’s costumes, Paul Mescal’s abs. But, really, there’s something that stands out above the rest: Denzel Washington’s line reading of the two-word phrase “Too much.” Most of this trailer operates in low, ominous tones befitting an epic of epic proportion. Not enough Denzel. In the middle of a conversation with Paul Mescal, who claims he wants the heads of “the entire Roman army,” Washington goes up an octave, telling Mescal, “Too much!” with a wicked smirk and a voice crack. It’s a choice that runs exactly counter to the expected one, and it provides an auditory friction that this baritone movie wouldn’t otherwise have. Plus, it’s silly and whimsical!

If you’re excited to see more of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II (or even if you just want to see more Denzel Washington line readings), the film starring Mescal, Pascal, Washington, and Quinn alongside Connie Nielsen debuts in theaters on November 22. Notably, that’s the same day as Wicked: Part One, and no #Barbenheimer, but we’d recommend seeing them on the same day. The only thing that could make this bloody masculine feud even better is seeing it pale in comparison to utter female loathing.

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