Denzel Washington hails 'ridiculously big' Gladiator 2

Denzel Washington has warned 'Gladiator 2' is going to be "ridiculously big" and "epic".

The 69-year-old actor is among the cast of Sir Ridley Scott's follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2000 original playing Macrinus - a former slave who is plotting to overthrow Rome - opposite Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal and Denzel has insisted the film is definitely going to be one to watch.

He told Variety: "[It's] huge! Ridiculously big!"

When asked whether his co-stars Mescal and Pascal are "good" in the film, the actor replied: "Not good. Great. Both of them. It’s a hard act to follow, and Paul pulled it off. He’s his own gladiator.

"I didn’t have to do anything but this [sips water with his little finger up]. That was my job. Just twirl the glass, twirl the goblet, and hold whatever I had in my other hand.

"And make sure I don’t step on my gown. A new trailer [for 'Gladiator 2'] comes out on the 23rd [September]. It’s epic."

It comes after director Ridley Scott declared 'Gladiator II' is "one of the best" movies of his career.

The 86-year-old filmmaker - who helmed the original 'Gladiator' movie - insisted fans won't be disappointed by the new film.

Speaking to Empire, Ridley explained: "It’s the best thing I’ve ever made ... One of the best things. I’ve made a few good ’uns."

The director previously moviemaker told Deadline: "I thought the [first] film was, as it were, completely satisfactory, creatively complete, so why muck with it, right?

"But these cycles keep going on and on and on, they repeat globally for the last 20 years. It started to spell itself out as an obvious thing to do, and that’s how it evolved."

'Gladiator 2' is due for release in November.