Nearly 20 years after winning five Academy Awards including Best Picture, ‘Gladiator’ is returning for a sequel. Denzel Washington, two-time Academy Award winner, is in final negotiations to co-star in the upcoming sequel to the classic movie directed by Ridley Scott. The news, first reported by Deadline, revealed that Paul Mescal, star of Normal People, will star opposite Washington, with Scott returning as director.

The new film will pick up the story years after the first film ended, focusing on Lucius, the son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen in the original film. Maximus, the character played by Russell Crowe, will not be returning to the sequel, as his character met his end in the first film. The upcoming sequel will also feature some of the key production team members from the original film, such as costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max.

The script for the sequel was penned by David Scarpa, and the production will be produced by Scott, alongside Michael Pruss, Doug Wick, and Lucy Fisher. While the original film was co-produced by Universal and DreamWorks, only Universal has the right to partner again with the project.

Washington's role in the film has not been revealed, but sources close to the project say he was excited about the "bad-ass role" Scott had written with him in mind. Washington has previously starred in several films of Ridley's late brother Tony, with the two finally teaming up on the 2007 crime thriller American Gangster.

Washington was last seen in The Tragedy of Macbeth, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He can be seen next in the third installment of the Equalizer series, which is set to release later this year.

Gladiator, released in 2000, was a blockbuster hit that grossed over $460 million worldwide and received 12 Academy Award nominations, winning five, including Best Picture. The film also launched Russell Crowe to leading-man status, earning him the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Maximus. The sequel has been highly anticipated, with male actors chasing the role of the male lead in the film. With Denzel Washington now joining the cast, fans can expect the upcoming sequel to be nothing short of amazing.