Barry Keoghan pulls out of Gladiator 2 due to schedule conflicts

His replacement has already been announced.

About two months ago, we reported that Oscar-nominee Barry Keoghan was in negotiations to join the epic cast of the upcoming Gladiator sequel, which is set to be directed by Ridley Scott, who helmed the original movie.

Keoghan was to star alongside fellow Irish actor and recent Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal, who would be taking on the titular gladiatorial role. Also already announced for the cast are new additions Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and May Calamawy, while both Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi are set to reprise their roles from the first movie.

Keoghan was reportedly in talks to play the villainous Emperor Geta, but Deadline are reporting that due to a scheduling conflict, he has been forced to step away from the project.

Above The Line reports that the other movie that caused the conflict is a project titled Bird. Very little is known about the movie, with the plot currently being kept top secret, with the only other available details are that it comes from acclaimed writer/director Andrea Arnold (Big Little Lies, American Honey).

Replacing Keoghan in the Gladiator sequel role will be Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus, Pam & Tommy), with the movie already having received a release date of 22 November 2024, putting it right in the middle of Oscar-season.

Meanwhile, JOE recently caught up with Russell Crowe during his press tour for The Pope’s Exorcist, and he imparted some advice for Paul Mescal in regards to filling his sandals in the sequel. Check out what Crowe had to say right here:

Header image via Instagram/Barry Keoghan

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