Denzel Washington Stars in $250 Million ’Gladiator’ Sequel Shot Across Morocco

Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer, in Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott and which will be in theaters this Wednesday, November 13. This feature film, shot between Morocco, Malta and the United Kingdom, is the biggest cinematic project the 69-year-old American actor has participated in during his rich career. "I’ve never been in a movie that cost hundreds of millions of dollars," he said.

The making of this blockbuster cost no less than 250 million euros, a "big budget," estimates Denzel Washington, who praised the ingenuity of the Australian director and his team who designed impressive sets. "It was incredible. The team rebuilt Rome [...], and not just on a green screen. It really helps an actor. You do your job, you put on your costume, and you arrive in this set and everything you see is Rome."

In Gladiator II, the American actor plays the role of Macrinus, a completely "crazy" villain who "wants to kill everyone, sleep with everyone, and especially dominate." Washington says he didn’t hesitate for a moment to accept the role. "He (Ridley Scott) called me, he said: ’Denzel, I want to do Gladiator II and I want you to do it, read the script.’ I told him: ’Stop there, when do I start, I’m ready, I’ll see you on the set!’" he recounted.

Macrinus is a character that the director wanted to highlight. "They brought me a whole bunch of rings, and I started putting them all on," Washington said, stating that "everything is excessive in this character." Interpreting this role was not easy, admits the American actor, who confessed that he had to "learn to walk with a dress" and that he "sometimes got his feet caught in it and stumbled."