‘Gladiator 2’ director likens Denzel Washington’s character to Trump

‘Gladiator 2’ director Ridley Scott has drawn similarities between Hollywood actor Denzel Washington’s character of an arms dealer and US president-elect Donald Trump.

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The sequel to the 2000 action epic sees Washington portray the role of a gladiator-turned-glamorous arms dealer who plots to control Rome.

While the character of Macrinus is based on an actual historical figure, the ‘Gladiator 2’ director has asserted that it is similar to a modern-day US politician.

“[Macrinus] was a prisoner of war — probably at a North African state — and actually was taken to Rome probably as a gladiator. Survived. Got free. Got into the business of maybe making wine and bread. He evolved into a very rich merchant selling shit to the Roman armies — food, oil, wine, cloth, weapons, everything. He maybe had a million men spread around Europe,” Ridley Scott said.

“So he was a billionaire at the time, so why wouldn’t he [have ambitions towards the throne]? ‘Why not me?’ He’s also a gangster — very close to Trump. A clever gangster. He creates chaos and from chaos he can evolve,” he added.

Meanwhile, Denzel Washington himself termed his character in ‘Gladiator 2’ as selfish and manipulative.

“He’s trying to use everybody. He’d use his mother, he’d use his own children; he’s already used up his soul, so he didn’t have any left. He’s in bed with the devil,” the Hollywood star said.

It is to be noted that a controversial biopic of Donald Trump, which depicts the former US president raping his wife, was released last month.

‘The Apprentice’ also shows the former and future US president suffering erectile dysfunction, and undergoing liposuction and surgery for hair loss.

Set several decades after the events of the first movie in ancient Rome, ‘Gladiator II’ tells the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal). The movie sees Lucius getting inspiration from Maximus to compete as a gladiator.

Ridley Scott has confirmed that he has already started the writing work for ‘Gladiator 3.’

“I’ve written 12 pages,” he said, adding that he has even started drawing his storyboards.