Gladiator II
has just passed a major box office milestone as the sequel continues to play in theaters. Directed by Ridley Scott, the long-awaited sequel picks up the story 15 years after the end of the original Gladiator, following Paul Mescal’s Lucius as he becomes a hero of the Colosseum. Gladiator 2 got off to a strong start at the box office on November 22, opening with $55 million, but the film’s large budget of about $240 million makes its bar for success quite high.

Box Office Mojo now reveals that Gladiator 2 has now crossed $400 million worldwide. This $400 million total comprises $147 million domestic and $252 million internationally. Considering the movie’s budget, however, it may still have a ways to go before it breaks even. The sequel is also $65 million away from the original Gladiator‘s box office haul.

What Gladiator 2’s Box Office Milestone Means For The Movie’s Profitability

How Much Does Ridley Scott’s Sequel Need To Gross?

Reports regarding Gladiator 2‘s budget have varied, but THR pegged the number at $250 million. Scott himself said that he ended up coming in $10 million under budget on the project, so it’s possible the real budget is closer to $240 million if THR‘s figure isn’t taking that into account. Using the standard Hollywood rule of thumb, Gladiator 2, with a $240 million budget, would be looking at a break-even point of at least $480 million, though this number could be as high as $600 million at the high end.

Gladiator 2 seemingly still has a ways to go before it’s profitable, and it will certainly inch closer to this threshold over the holidays. Still, though, the best case scenario at this point from the data available seems to be that Gladiator 2 will be a very modest success. Scott, however, seems quite pleased with his sequel’s performance and has said (via Mama’s Geeky) that “there’s certainly going to be a Gladiator 3.” With Scott so optimistic about Gladiator 3, it’s entirely possible that the sequel’s break-even point is actually lower than the numbers above.

Our Take On Gladiator 2’s Box Office Performance

The Film is Scott’s Highest Performer In 7 Years

Gladiator 2‘s reviews have been generally positive, but they’re certainly not as positive as those for the original movie. The sequel, for example, earned only a B Cinemascore and has a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the original film’s 80%. The original movie also has an 87% Popcornmeter score while the sequel has an 82%. Though the figures aren’t that far apart, the lack of a glowing response did likely hurt the sequel.

It remains to be seen whether Gladiator 3 will happen, but it’s hard to imagine another movie getting made at the same budget level as the sequel if it does. Still, it’s worth celebrating the sequel’s new box office milestone, especially since it’s Scott’s highest since The Martian grossed $630 million worldwide in 2015. Unfortunately, however, Gladiator 2 certainly won’t be hitting these same highs.

Source: Box Office Mojo

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Gladiator II

Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.

Release Date

November 22, 2024

Runtime

148 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure

Cast

Paul Mescal
, Pedro Pascal
, Denzel Washington
, Connie Nielsen
, Joseph Quinn
, Fred Hechinger
, Derek Jacobi
, May Calamawy
, Peter Mensah
, Matt Lucas
, Alexander Karim
, Tim McInnerny
, Lee Charles
, Chidi Ajufo
, Alfie Tempest
, Riana Duce
, Chi Lewis Parry
, Paul Candelent
, Hadrian Howard
, Alexander Simkin
, Mikhail Basmadjian
, Matthew Charlery-Smith
, Maxime Durand
, Lior Raz

Character(s)

Lucius Verus
, Marcus Acacius
, Macrinus
, Lucilla
, Emperor Caracalla
, Emperor Geta
, Gracchus

Writers

David Scarpa
, Peter Craig
, David Franzoni

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures
, Universal Pictures
, Scott Free Productions
, Red Wagon Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

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