If Gladiator 2 continues the story that began with Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning Gladiator, it will star him in the new leading role and should shatter the up-and-coming star’s box office record.

Following the death of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, Gladiator 2 will continue the story with Paul Mescal, who will play the adult version of Lucius, the nephew of Joachim Phoenix’s Emperor Commodus. Gladiator 2 has completed filming with its new star and, with the release date rapidly approaching, box office projections are a common point of speculation.

Gladiator 2 is almost guaranteed to be a box office hit given the significant star power of its cast list. In addition to Mescal, the lead roles will be played by Dezel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Qi and the returning Copie Nielse, among other notable names.

While Dezel Washington’s role in Gladiator 2 may be the most intriguing, the box office numbers will be the most important for Mescal.