'Gladiator 2' trailer teases epic battles and star-studded cast

Fans have been left waiting almost a quarter of a century for a sequel, but now at last Paramount Studios has released an action-packed three-minute "Gladiator 2" trailer, four months before the blockbuster's scheduled cinema release.

The trailer , teasing many bloody battle scenes in the Roman Colosseum, features a mounted rhinoceros and attacking warships, setting an intense tone for the sequel to the original 2000 film.

Irish actor Paul Mescal of "Normal People" fame has trained hard to build muscles for his gladiatorial role in the upcoming film, directed by Ridley Scott.

As the lead actor, Mescal plays Lucius Verus, the now-adult son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), fighting for his life as a gladiator and rebels against the rulers in Rome.

Denzel Washington portrays a Roman statesman, while Pedro Pascal stars as General Marcus Acacius. "Gladiator 2" is set to hit cinemas in mid-November.

In the original 2000 film, Russell Crowe played the celebrated gladiator Maximus, who kills his rival, the treacherous emperor's son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), in a duel and dies himself at the end.

Lucius Verus, a nephew of Commodus, was just a small boy at the time. The blockbuster film won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.