Fans 'thirsty' over pic of Paul Mescal on Gladiators II set

Ever since Normal People, Paul Mescal has achieved Hollywood heartthrob status but his new movie Gladiator II might just catapult him to new heights.

The Irish actor, 28, portrays Lucius Verus, the son of Lucilla, in the Gladiator sequel and while fans are eagerly awaiting the trailer, they have been sent into a frenzy by a behind-the-scenes picture of Paul on set.

Ahead of the trailer dropping, his co-star Pedro Pascal shared a shirtless photo of Paul sitting in the hair and make-up chair, wearing a toga and wrist cuffs, as Pedro teased fans, writing: 'Come and get it. Gladiator 2, November 22.'

Paul's legion of fans jumped to the comments as they gushed over the actor's toned body, writing: 'This is a lot for a Monday.'

Another one wrote: 'Thirsty doesn't even begin to cover it. I ain't even sorry,' while a second joked: 'So thirsty I'm dehydrated.' And a third said: 'This is so hot, it's literally my Roman empire.'

Paul recently said playing Gaelic football prepared him for the role, which might explain his buff physique. 'Maybe that was something that helped with it, in that I'm used to being physical in my body,' he said.

This comes as first-look images for the highly-anticipated Gladiator II sequel have been released and the first official trailer will be released on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, more details have emerged about what's to be expected from Gladiator II, Ridley Scott's sequel to his 2000 blockbuster.

At present, Gladiator II is set for release in the US on November 22, 2024, but Irish fans are in luck as the highly-anticipated film is set for release one week earlier on November 15.

In terms of the plot, director Ridley Scott previously said Lucius was last seen around 15 years ago and has been living 'in the wilderness' with no connection to his mum, who believes he might be dead.

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius a Roman general who was condemned to become a gladiator after he wanted to stop sending men to war.

We cannot wait for the trailer...!