Faced with intense competition, Paramount’sGladiator IItook a hit this weekend, especially at the domestic box office. The swords-and-sandals epic managed to pass a new milestone, but is clearlylosing momentum as it settles into the holiday period. However, its primary markets are all overseas, and the movie seems to be holding on just fine globally. This weekend — its third —Gladiator IIclosed the gap between itself and its celebrated predecessor,Gladiator, to under $100 million globally.
Both movies have been directed by the legendaryRidley Scott. With a little over $130 million domestically and another $235 million from overseas markets,Gladiator IIhas earned acombined global total of $368 million so far. By comparison, the originalGladiatorconcluded its global run with a little over $460 million over two decades ago. More surprisingly, it ended up winning the prestigious Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars, and has cemented itself assomething of a modern classicin the years since. Genre films, especially one this populist, are rarely honored at the Oscars.
Gladiator IIwas always going to be held to the high standards of its predecessor, and the consensus seems to be that the movie isinferior to the original in most respects. Although the movie earned praise for its elaborate action sequences and the supporting performance ofDenzel Washington,Paul Mescal’s work in the central role was compared unfavorably toRussell Crowe’s Academy Award-winning performance in the original.Gladiator IIappears to have settled at a “fresh” 72% rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.
‘Gladiator II’ Is Among Ridley Scott’s Top-Grossing Hits
Produced ona reported budget of over $200 million,Gladiator IIstill has a way to go before it can be counted as a bona fide hit. Current projections put its final haul at under $500 million, which would make it Scott’s second-biggest hit behindThe Martian, but arguably an under-performer, considering its massive budget.A THR articlesuggested that costs had actually ballooned to over $300 million, but Scott refuted these numbers in a pre-release interview with theNew York Times, and claimed that he delivered the film under-budget.
Also starringPedro Pascal,Connie Nielsen,Joseph Quinn,Fred Hechinger, and others,Gladiator IIis playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Gladiator II
Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.
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