“There is no better director who focuses on the audience's sense of entertainment”

A star quartet led by Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington were on hand in Tokyo on Monday to celebrate “Gladiator II” and its master filmmaker Ridley Scott.

Mescal, who plays gladiator Lucius, said that “Gladiator II” differs from “Gladiator” in that Scott, who also directed the original 2000 film, “had more resources at his disposal and used them wisely.”

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“There is no better director than Ridley Scott who can better focus on the audience's sense of entertainment,” he said.

The Tokyo festival's programmers and Japanese distributors clearly had a feeling that it would be a crowd-pleaser. The Tokyo International Film Festival designated “Gladiator II” as the main screening, saying it was the first time a major Hollywood film would be screened in this way in the middle of the event.

Likewise, films in Japan often hit theaters months later than in other countries, but with “Gladiator II,” local distributor Towa Pictures is wasting no time. The film will be in Japanese cinemas from November 15th.

The cast in Tokyo, which included Connie Nielsen and Fred Hechinger, were eager to talk about craft.

Washington, who plays both Lucius' mentor and an arms dealer with plans for the imperial throne, said: “We were obviously in the hands of a master filmmaker, so there was absolute confidence in what he was doing.”

Washington, who previously worked with Scott on 2007's “American Gangster,” added that Scott “allowed us to take ownership of what we were doing” while also handling the technical side of a complex shoot. “There were so many angles, so many cameras, I had no idea where the view would be, but it didn't matter.” Under Scott's direction, he said, “It gave you the freedom to have fun. “

Nielsen, who plays the aristocratic mother of Mescals Gladiator – the son she had in the first film with Russell Crowe's General-turned-Gladiator – said: “It was incredible to see a master like Ridley Scott transform change in subtle, but shows in an unmistakable way.” This is what happened to Rome and the Empire [in the 20 years since the events of ‘Gladiator’].”

She added: “He finally had the technology to realize his vision and I could see he was enjoying every moment of making the images come alive for the audience.”

Hechinger, who plays the corrupt Emperor Caracalla, added that working with eight to 12 cameras on the Scott set was “a completely unique experience as an actor.” “The unusual and amazing thing about the way Ridley makes a film is that he doesn't break the whole plot down into these individual points,” Hechinger said. “Instead, he views each sequence as a continuous event – ​​all on the same day at the same moment.”

When a fan asked Mescal how he maintained the energy needed for the intense action sequences, he said, “It's the dream of all dreams to stand there.” You don't need a second invitation to feel the adrenaline. It wasn't lost on me that I was standing in the middle of the Colosseum under the direction of Ridley Scott and working with so many people that I absolutely adore. So if that doesn’t give you an adrenaline rush, maybe you should consider another career.”

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