Few films can match the massive financial and critical success of Ridley Scott‘s period piece epic, Gladiator. Just when you thought films about warriors in Ancient Rome reached their peak with movies like Ben-Hur and Spartacus, in came Ridley Scott with a modern action spectacle that set a new bar for production design in filmmaking and featured revolutionary special effects. If the technical aspects weren’t already enough for the movie to make its mark on film history, Gladiator also came complete with a powerful and engaging plot.
As many probably know, Gladiator tells the historically fictitious story of Maximus (Russell Crowe) – a Roman general who becomes the victim of a coup by Caesar Marcus Aurelius’s own son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Maximus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to be a slave in the fighting pits of Rome’s gladiatorial industry, all while Commodus orders the execution of Maximus’s wife and child. Fueled by vengeance over the slaying of his family, Maximus uses his combat training and military expertise to quickly rise through the ranks of Rome’s fiercest gladiators, eventually becoming a symbol of hope for Rome’s persecuted citizens before coming face to face with Emperor Commodus.
The result of the film’s impressive sense of scale, filmmaking prowess, and thrilling plot led to the film receiving nominations for 12 total Academy Awards, ultimately taking home five including the coveted Best Picture prize. Since then Gladiator is remembered as an acclaimed classic in the eyes of both critics and audiences. With the film’s final duel resulting in the death of Maximus, it seemed that the story of Gladiator was completely over and done with. As we’ve now learned, Ridley Scott still has plans for the story of Gladiator to continue.
Whispers and plans for a second Gladiator film have been circulating ever since the success of the original film, with Russell Crowe himself stating that conversations about a follow-up never truly ceased. Allegedly past ideas have included Gladiator 2 taking a page out of the bible and resurrecting Maximus as well as an idea for things to take an even more supernatural approach with Maximus engaging in gladiatorial combat against mythological foes in the Roman afterlife. As the long-awaited continuation is finally entering production, only time will tell if Gladiator 2 will stay true to its grounded roots or introduce more fantastical elements.
To learn all the details for the surprising sequel and when you can expect to enter the arena, here is everything we know so far about Gladiator 2.
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on November 15, 2023.
Gladiator 2
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Paul Mescal, Djimon Hounsou, Fred Hechinger
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Genres
- Drama, Action, Adventure
What Is the Release Date of ‘Gladiator 2’?
Get ready to be entertained by another trip to ancient Rome as Gladiator 2 officially arrives in theaters on Friday, November 22, 2024. This date will have the film opening the week before another major blockbuster in Wicked: Part One which arrives on November 27, 2024.
Will ‘Gladiator 2’ Be Released in Theaters or on Streaming?
The first Gladiator film grossed a whopping total of $503 million USD at the international box office, exactly quintupling its budget of $103 million USD. With numbers like that, it seems extremely unlikely that Gladiator 2 would even think of forgoing a theatrical release. Not to mention a spectacle like gladiatorial combat is surely something that patient fans would want to see on the big screen rather than on their computer. That being said, we wouldn’t rule out a streaming release, and given that the Gladiator intellectual property is owned by Paramount Pictures, it seems a release on Paramount+ would be fairly likely.
Does ‘Gladiator 2’ Have a Trailer Yet?
Gladiator 2 is still in pre-production. With its lead actor set, a tentative release date in place, and a screenplay completed, the highly anticipated sequel is prepped and was previously ready to begin filming around late March 2023. However, production was delayed until the summer of 2023.
What Is the Plot of ‘Gladiator 2’?
Explicit details on what’s in store for Gladiator 2‘s plot have not yet been revealed, but the recent casting of its lead actor does offer some clues on where the series will go after the conclusion of the first film. With the casting of recent Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal, the lead character will be someone we know from the original Gladiator. A key supporting character in the original movie’s storyline is Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark) – a young boy who is the nephew of the villainous Commodus and the son of Commodus’s sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Despite only meeting him a handful of times, Lucius quickly grew an admiration for Maximus as he became a hero in the eyes of the many spectators in the Coliseum. From that point on, Lucius decided he didn’t want to be the next in line for the Roman throne, but instead wanted to be a symbolically heroic gladiator like Maximus. When he witnessed Maximus and Commodus, seeing his brave sacrifice in the face of a maniacal ruler must have truly affected him.
Paul Mescal will be playing an all-grown-up version of Lucius, and if the word “gladiator” remains as part of the title, we can imagine that Lucius will have really taken after Maximus and decided to enter the fighting pits rather than become Caesar.
Who Is Starring in ‘Gladiator 2’?
As mentioned above, the lead role of Lucius in Gladiator 2 will be Paul Mescal, who received his first Academy Award nomination in 2023 for his performance in Aftersun.
Scott noted that Mescal’s performance in the hit British drama series Normal People played a big role in the casting, saying:
“And then I watched the whole series. And then, suddenly, Gladiator 2 came up, because the script was working pretty well. And I kept thinking about Paul. And that was it.”
Fellow 2023 Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan was initially up for the role of Emperor Geta but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Filling in for Keoghan is Fred Hechinger, who broke out in a big way with his role as Quinn Mossbacher in the first season of The White Lotus. Emperor Geta was a real-life Roman Emperor who held control over the empire from 198 to 211. Whether this Emperor will be a villainous successor to Commodus remains to be seen.
Another major actor confirmed to appear in Gladiator 2 with two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington. This marks the first time that Washington has starred in a Ridley Scott film in over fifteen years, having previously starred in American Gangster. While the name of Washington’s character has not yet been revealed, Scott teased that the character will symbolize a life that was forbidden from Maximus in the original film. In an interview with Total Film, Scott said:
“As for Denzel’s character… There were businesses of gladiators who could indeed earn their freedom if they stayed alive. That was the deal. So we went right into that, in-depth. Where did he come from? How was he taken? He was branded with marks and registered with a brand on his chest as a slave. So that’s how he comes into the story. He’s a rich guy who’s still carrying a grudge.”
Another exciting addition to the all-star cast is Pedro Pascal, who recently starred in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian Season 3, and his inclusion here will continue the actor’s dominance in Hollywood.
Joseph Quinn, best known for his role as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things, is already making the jump to the big screen next year with A Quiet Place: Day One, but that won’t be the only major film he’ll be a part of, as he’ll also be joining the cast to Gladiator 2.
Another major television star to break big last year was Moon Knight‘s May Calamawy, who has also signed on to play the female lead of the epic sequel.
Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, who starred in the first film as Lucilla and Senator Gracchus, have also signed on to reprise their roles for the sequel. Djimon Hounsou who starred as Juba in the 2000 film, is also rumored to return.
Other cast members onboard to join Gladiator 2 include Lior Raz (6 Underground), Peter Mensah (Spartacus), and Matt Lucas (Bridesmaids).
Who Is Making ‘Gladiator 2’?
Arguably the biggest star returning for Gladiator 2 is the man in the director’s chair, Ridley Scott. Scott is a prolific filmmaker who requires no introduction, with examples of his acclaimed directorial work including Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down, The Martian, and many more. Penning the screenplay for Gladiator 2 is David Scarpa, who previously collaborated with Scott as the writer for All the Money in the World.
Other major crew members include other frequent collaborators of Scott’s, such as individuals who worked on the original Gladiator like Academy Award-nominated cinematographer John Mathieson, Academy Award-nominated production designer Arthur Max and Academy Award-winning costume designer Janty Yates.
When and Where Did ‘Gladiator 2’ Film?
Filming for Gladiator 2 began in June 2023, primarily in Morocco, with additional filming taking place in Malta and the United Kingdom.
With production underway, we were able to see some behind-the-scenes footage. Morocco’s Minister of Culture, Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, shared a glimpse of the highly anticipated sequel. Check it out below.
In June, Collider exclusively revealed several photos from the set of the construction of the film’s massive coliseum.
Filming was halted in July due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. However, when the strike ended in early November 2023, Gladiator 2 was announced as one of the first titles to go back into production. One of the reasons for the rush was to ensure that Pedro Pascal would not have a scheduling conflict with filming The Last of Us Season 2.
