“SNL” hires Paul Mescal to reimagine “Gladiator II” musical parody

After Thompson and Yang explained the joys of ancient Rome through song, Mescal expressed optimism, adding, “Yeah, I think I’ll like it here.”

Another spokesperson boasted that the film would contain “the same violent historical epic that audiences are raving about, but with an additional 50 minutes of songs.”

One scene shows Mescal in a lonely moment before entering the Colosseum, reflecting on his public perception as a fighter.

“They look at me and all they see is a killing machine,” he sang. “But they don’t know that way down there I am so much more than I seem.”

Mescal took to the battlefield, gesturing through the ballad with a sword in his hand and singing, “They call me gladiator, they call me a slave.”

The song took an upbeat turn as he began moving to the beat, adding, “They call me a murderer, but one day they’ll know my name.”

The trailer included a candid quote from the film’s director, Ridley Scott, about the film’s change in direction, which read: “I wasn’t told anything about it.”

As the skit continued, it included a note that Lin-Manuel Miranda was hired to compose “one of his classic Broadway raps” for the project, resulting in the dueling tune between Mikey Day as Kaiser and Mescal.

“Everyone in the Colosseum, put your hands in the air and let me see them. “I’m the crazy emperor with the bad temper,” Day rapped. “And I don’t mean to be a hater, but I don’t like that gladiator. So say goodbye to that clown because my thumb is going down.”

Mescal spat back with his own lines, adding: “Look at the little b—- with his wine in his cup. Sit down, give your f——thumbs up.”

“Does this slave think he’s a boss like me? Let’s see if he can floss like me,” Day continued, before a dance fight broke out between his character and Mescal’s.

At the conclusion of the trailer, Mescal was once again joined by Yang, Walker, Thompson and Day, as well as cast members Jane Wickline and Michael Longfellow for a final rendition of “No Place Like Rome.”

“There’s no place, no place like…” they all sang in unison before the film switched from the group in the Colosseum to Mescal’s solo as he rode away from the crime scene on a broomstick wearing a witch’s hat, à la Elphaba in “Wicked.” .”

To end the song and sketch, Mescal sang the word “Rome” to the tune of “Defying Gravity,” creating his own melodic riff.