The call for extras to be part of the sequel to the Roman epic Gladiator is now open, according to a Facebook post by a local casting agency.

Posted by casting coordinator and director Brenda Camilleri, the call asks for people who have never applied with her agency before to be part of an “upcoming Roman epic feature film”.

“The hype is real. You've been waiting for this, here it is,” the post reads.

Although the post does not specify which Roman epic it is referring to, a few key hints have let the gladiatorial cat out of the Colosseum-sized bag.

Camilleri’s post includes a call sheet with some specifics such as a minimum age for applicants – 18 – who must be available Mondays to Fridays between June 15 to September 15 for 12-hour shoots.

The sheet also shows the Paramount Pictures logo above the title, the company that owns the Gladiator intellectual property.

On the sheet, a link to Camilleri’s website brings those interested to a page that describes how people can apply with the agency with another link to the application at the bottom.

As soon as one clicks, questions will pop up over a screengrab from the 2000 critically-acclaimed action film Gladiator. The application takes some 20 minutes to complete, the website explains.

No other details regarding what is expected of applicants are available at this time.

Filming confirmed

On Wednesday, Film Commissioner Johann Grech confirmed that Ridley Scott will be returning to Malta in the summer to film the sequel to his Oscar-winning epic.

“Shooting is to start in the coming months and we are hoping to have more people join the industry at large,” Grech said.

The production will be largely shot at Fort Ricasoli, which also served as the main setting for the original film. Preparations at Fort Ricasoli are underway, with large scaffolding being mounted. 

Sources had previously said the sequel production will be on a “much bigger scale” than that for the original film.

The sequel comes 23 years after the release of Gladiator that had starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a former general forced into becoming a gladiator under the rule of self-appointed Roman emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. 

More than two decades later, “thousands” of extras are set to be engaged for the filming of the sequel. Yet, asked when and how eager recruits can apply, Grech said hundreds are already working in the sector.

“It’s not just extras that are needed but also crew and all those businesses that support the film industry,” he said.