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King Charles hit the red carpet at the global premiere of Gladiator II on the eve of his 76th birthday. His Majesty, dressed in a black tuxedo and bow tie, attended the Royal Film Performance at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square in London.
At the premiere, the monarch met with the cast of the highly anticipated film, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen. The King was heard speaking with Pedro about his character, General Acacius. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, is the sequel to the 2000 Academy Award-winning film Gladiator.
The official synopsis for the new movie reads: "Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."
The Gladiator II premiere on Nov. 13 marked Charles' first premiere as King in aid of the Film and TV Charity, which he is patron of. The charity is celebrating its centenary year. Alongside footage from the event on Instagram, the royal family's account wrote in part, "What a night! 🎬💫."
According to the charity, "The Performance highlights the importance of preserving cinema, while shining a spotlight on the mental health and financial needs of industry workers, especially in these challenging times."
The King turned 76 the day after the star-studded premiere. His Majesty stepped out on his birthday to formally open the new Coronation Food Hub in Deptford. The royal family's official social media accounts commemorated the King's birthday on Nov. 14 with a regal portrait of Charles that was captioned: "🎂 Wishing His Majesty The King a very Happy Birthday today."
Gladiator II will be released in theaters Nov. 22