July 14th 2024.
The anticipation for the release of Gladiator II is at an all-time high as fans were blown away by the trailer featuring the iconic Denzel Washington. The star-studded film, directed by Sir Ridley Scott, is the long-awaited sequel to the 2000 hit Gladiator and is already creating a buzz with its star-studded cast including Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal.
Within the first 24 hours of its release, the trailer for Gladiator II garnered a staggering 128 million views across various social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and X, breaking records and becoming one of the most viewed trailers of all time. And it's not hard to see why - the trailer is action-packed and features epic battle scenes, including Paul Mescal taking on a rhino and a barely recognizable Stranger Things star.
Amidst all the excitement, fans couldn't help but notice Denzel Washington's ageless appearance in the trailer. At 69 years old, Denzel plays the role of Macrinus, the gladiator sponsor of Paul Mescal's character, Lucius. Fans took to social media to express their awe at Denzel's timeless looks, with one user even stating, "I don't know how I'm supposed to act. A 60+ man is the oldest and hottest man in this movie."
But the question on everyone's mind is, does Denzel really look as youthful as he appears in the trailer, or has CGI been used to enhance his appearance? De-aging technology has become increasingly popular in cinema, with notable examples including the de-aging of Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and the use of AI to rewind the clock for Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in The Irishman.
There has been speculation that Denzel may have also undergone the de-aging process for the continuation of The Equalizer film franchise, as revealed by director Antoine Fuqua in an interview with NME. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this technology was used in Gladiator II, so we can only credit classic movie magic and good genes for Denzel's youthful appearance.
Regardless of how he looks, it's clear that Denzel's presence in Gladiator II has fans in a frenzy of excitement. And it's not just Denzel who has fans eagerly awaiting the film's release - Paul Mescal's performance as the lead has also been highly praised. In an interview, director Antoine Fuqua even hinted at the possibility of exploring the backstory of Mescal's character using de-aging technology.
But for now, we'll just have to wait and see the film for ourselves and let the captivating story and impressive cast do the talking. And who knows, maybe Denzel's role as Macrinus will be just as iconic as his previous roles, solidifying his status as a timeless Hollywood legend.
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