Gladiator 2 Set Explosion in Morocco Injures Six Crew Members

The incident occurred on the filming location in Morocco, in the Sahara desert, where director Ridley Scott is making the sequel to the famous 2000 film. The cause of the explosion remains undetermined, but speculation points to a possible gas pipe malfunction. A witness to the incident told the newspaper The Sun: "In years of filming, I’ve never seen such a frightening accident."

The filming, which has just begun in Ouarzazate, where temperatures regularly reach around 35 degrees Celsius, has been severely shaken by the accident. The cast of Gladiator 2 includes prestigious names such as Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. Oscar winner Russel Crowe, who played General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the first installment, will not appear in this sequel.

This new episode of the Gladiator saga will follow the descendants of Meridius’ character, with Paul Mescal in the lead role of Lucius, the Roman aristocrat from the first film. Despite this incident, Gladiator 2 is still scheduled for a theatrical release at the end of next year.