We’re ready to head back into the Colosseum… but are you? Get up to speed with everything we know about Gladiator 2 before seeing it this November.
Released in 2000, OG Gladiator has been frequently referred to as one of the most remarkable films in history, owing to its exceptional cinematography, unforgettable performances, and legendary score crafted by composer Hans Zimmer.
It grossed over $503 million worldwide, exceeding expectations and cementing its place as a commercial hit. Now, after 23 years, a sequel – not a prequel, as fans originally expected – is mere weeks away from entertaining us.
We’ve already watched Maximus die, so what’s next? Here’s everything there is to know about Ridley Scott’s new movie, from Gladiator 2 cast to some surprising on-set controversy.
Gladiator 2 release date
Gladiator 2 releases in US theaters on November 22, 2024. However, UK fans will get it a week earlier on November 15.
For Australian fans, you can expect to be back in ancient Rome on November 14.
There’s been quite a bit of shuffling about in the release calendar for the sequel, namely because of strike action (more on that later).
However, it’s always been set for a Thanksgiving release. Speaking on The Graham Norton Show in January 2024, Paul Mescal said: “I finished filming yesterday and survived. It’s done. I am not allowed to say anything, but it will be out at Thanksgiving this year.”
When was the sequel filmed?
Production eventually kicked off in May 2023, with sets constructed in Morocco and shoots initially planned in Malta and the UK over a period of four months. However, filming finished in January 2024.
With 90 minutes shot, production was paused due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Scott described a scene that he’d shot before shutdown.
“He’d been polishing the 90 minutes he had, including a scene in which the hero fights a pack of baboons; he’d been haunted, he said, by a video of baboons attacking tourists in Johannesburg,” the outlet wrote.
Scott then said: “Baboons are carnivores. Can you hang from that roof for two hours by your left leg? No! A baboon can.”
Following the strike, the director told Deadline it’ll be a “couple of weeks” before he’s on set again. “Thank God it’s over. We shot about 90 minutes, at least that’s finished. It’s really getting the sets cleaned up; they’re already built. I got another 90 minutes to go,” he added.
Scott had been tinkering with the sequel for years, with the script completed in late 2021.
On-set controversy
There was also an incident in which six crew members sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In a statement, a Paramount spokesperson said: “While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries.
“The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment. The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.”
Gladiator 2 cast
Paul Mescal leads our cast as Lucius, with Hollywood titans Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington in supporting roles.
The full Gladiator 2 cast includes:
- Paul Mescal as Lucius
- Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
- Djimon Hounsou as Juba
- Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus
- Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta
- Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla
- Denzel Washington as Macrinus
- Pedro Pascal as Maximus Acacius
- Matt Lucas
- May Calamawy
- Peter Mensah
- Lior Raz
On May 18, 2023, sources told Deadline Barry Keoghan was originally the frontrunner to play the film’s antagonist Emperor Geta, but he had to drop out due to scheduling projects.
You’ll notice that two of these listed names are returning from the original movie – Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi – so expect to see them carrying over plenty of meaning and storytelling from the first time around.
Will Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix return?
Sadly, no. This is for a very obvious reason though – they both died at the end of the first movie.
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However, this might be to Crowe’s advantage. “I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done,” he told Kyle Meredith in an interview.
“But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like: ‘No, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character.’ But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like.”
He added: “I reflect back: the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it, the doors that particular movie opened for me.
“This is just me being purely honest: there’s definitely a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy. I remember when I had tendons.”
Ridley Scott later added to Empire “I think [Crowe is] still one of the best actors in the world, and I think we have a good relationship.
“I hope we do. As long as he doesn’t start bitching about how he wasn’t consulted. Why would I? He’s dead!”
Is Ridley Scott directing?
Yes! The OG Gladiator is back in the director’s chair – and according to him, he “doubts” the sequel would have ever been made if he wasn’t involved.
Speaking to FILMHOUNDS Magazine, Scott explained “I doubt it. I think it was forgotten. I’m already planning my next movie right now to start in January, so I’m always running ahead, long down the road. But what gradually happened with Gladiator – which I didn’t realize would be so strong – was a spiritual thread that runs through the movie, which is not really in the script.
“We tried it out to see if it worked, and then I think it did. It gives it the real body and emotion of Gladiator 1. So I stopped thinking that we should really do another one. Then four years afterward goes to 10 years, and no one’s doing anything. So I start to round up the relevant parties. Why don’t we make another one?”
Sequel synopsis explained
Gladiator 2 takes place 20 years after the events of the original, where Maximus’ son Lucius is captured by the Roman army, having to follow in his dad’s footsteps and fight his way to freedom.
Remember the little boy Lucilla whisks away just after Maximus’ death? Well, that was Lucius. Now he’s all grown up and looking to take down Rome’s emperors from the inside. Obviously, there’s quite a few obstacles – and fights – standing in his way.
He’s been kept away from Rome ever since he was young, with Lucilla fearing violent backlash after both Maximus and Commodus died.
The official premise reads “Over two decades after the events of Gladiator, Lucius – the son of Lucilla and Maximus – lives with his wife and child in Numidia.
“Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius invade, killing his wife and forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator under the teaching of Macrinus, a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Caracalla and Geta.”
Is there a trailer?
You can catch a glimpse of the gory action in Gladiator 2’s official full trailer below:
Will Gladiator 2 be on streaming?
Gladiator 2 will be a theatrical release first, with no confirmed date for when it will arrive on streaming.
Given that the first film grossed a total of $503 million USD off of a $103 million USD budget, it’s unsurprising that the studio will want to have a theatrical run of the film before it becomes available to stream.
When it does eventually arrive on a streaming platform, it will most likely drop on Paramount+ given that the Gladiator intellectual property is owned by Paramount Pictures.
What about Gladiator 3?
While nothing is confirmed, Scott has mentioned “toying” with the idea of making a third movie.
“With that, I’m already toying with the idea of Gladiator 3. No, seriously! I’ve lit the fuse…” he told French magazine Premiere. “The ending of Gladiator 2 is reminiscent of The Godfather, with Michael Corleone finding himself with a job he didn’t want, and wondering, ‘Now, Father, what do I do?’ So the next [film] will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”
Gladiator 2 hits cinemas on November 22. Catch up with the 5 most explicit scenes in Napoleon, Gladiator 2’s first reactions, and the best movies of the year so far.
You can also check out more new movies streaming this month.