Gladiator II

Gladiator II
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRidley Scott
Screenplay byDavid Scarpa
Story by
Based onCharacters created by David Franzoni
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJohn Mathieson
Edited by
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14) (Australia and New Zealand)
  • November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15) (United Kingdom)
  • November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) (United States)
Running time
148 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$250–310 million[2]

Gladiator II is an upcoming epic historical action film directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott. It was produced by Scott Free Productions, Red Wagon Entertainment and Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Serving as a sequel to Gladiator (2000), the film was written by David Scarpa from a story he wrote with Peter Craig. It stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.[3] Jacobi and Nielsen reprise their roles from the first film. Mescal portrays Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army led by General Marcus Acacius. Lucius seeks revenge against Acacius and fights as a gladiator for Macrinus, a former slave who plans to overthrow the emperors Geta and Caracalla.

A sequel to Gladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, with David Franzoni and John Logan set to return as screenwriters. Over the next few years, Scott offered occasional updates, including the possible involvement of the original film's lead actor, Russell Crowe, along with plot ideas about the Roman afterlife and different historical time periods. Development was halted when DreamWorks sold the rights to the property to Paramount in 2006. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by Scarpa. The rest of the cast signed on over the next several months. Filming took place between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month hiatus due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.

Gladiator II is scheduled to be released in Australia and New Zealand on November 14, 2024, in the United Kingdom on November 15, and in the United States on November 22. A sequel, Gladiator III, is in early stages of development.

  1. ^ "Gladiator II (15)". October 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference THR-Budget was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Prepare to be entertained". Gladiator Movie. Retrieved November 6, 2024.