Four years since achieving lockdown stardom in "Normal People," Paul Mescal is preparing for the biggest test of his movie star mettle when "Gladiator II" is released later this year.
The Co Kildare actor will star as Lucius in the sequel to Ridley Scott's swords-and-sandals epic, which earned $465.4m at the global box office in 2000 and won the Oscar for Best Picture the following year.
The sequel's $300m budget would suggest that studio Paramount has faith that the film will be a major hit when it is released this November.
Mescal leads a cast that includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn in his first major Hollywood blockbuster. Dublin's Barry Keoghan also had a role in the film before dropping out due to other commitments.
A trailer released last week showed Mescal fighting in a naval battle, against a rhino in Rome's famous Colosseum and plotting with Washington's character against Rome's leaders.
Since "Normal People," the 28-year-old has starred in films such as "The Lost Daughter," "Foe," "All of Us Strangers," and "Aftersun," for which he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a struggling Dad.
Mescal also featured in the recent West End production of "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Daria Cercek, the head of the "Gladiator II" Paramount's motion picture group, said the studio cast Mescal after witnessing the audience's reaction to him removing his shirt in the revival of the Tennessee Williams play.
Mescal takes over from Russell Crowe, who earned $5m and won an Oscar for playing general-turned-slave Maximus in the original, but it is unlikely that he will earn as much as the New Zealand actor or co-star Washington considering his lesser track record.
Castle Dawson Ltd
Accounts for Mescal's company, Castle Dawson Ltd, show that his earnings are increasing as he continues to take on high-profile film roles.
Recently published accounts for the financial year ending last October show the company made a profit of €309,100, nearly double the €165,700 made by the firm in 2022.
The accounting period likely covers the productions of "Foe" and "All of Us Strangers," in which he co-starred with fellow Irish actors Saoirse Ronan and Andrew Scott, respectively.
Mescal was cast in early 2023 and production on the film wrapped in January following delays due to Hollywood actors' strike last summer.
The accounts show Castle Dawson now has capital and reserves totaling €479,800 after Mescal decided against paying out a dividend last year.
The firm has current assets totaling €646,800 and owes €167,000 to its creditors. Mescal, who wholly owns the company, acts as a director alongside mother Dearbhla.
Mescal also purchased a €600,000 farmhouse near Schull, in West Cork, last year, and he has a reported net worth of €2-3m.
* This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.
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