The runtime for Gladiator II has been revealed, as tickets are now on sale for the highly anticipated epic sequel. Twenty-four years after the original Oscar-winning movie, Ridley Scott is finally bringing his epic sequel to the big screen. The movie will shift its focus to an older Lucius (Paul Mescal), taking a similar revenge tale where the hero becomes a gladiator following the loss of his family. Gladiator II is one of the most anticipated movies this fall, with questions about whether Scott can deliver an equally entertaining sequel to the 2000 original.
Now, Fandango has revealed the runtime for Gladiator II, which will be two hours and 28 minutes. This means that the sequel will be roughly seven minutes shorter than the original 2000 movie, which was two hours and 35 minutes. The detail also appears official as several other chains like Regal and AMC Theaters listed the same runtime.
Why Gladiator II’s Runtime Is Very Important For Its Theatrical Performance
It Has Intense Competition With Wicked That’s Even Longer
Gladiator II‘s runtime is not unusual, as epic movies tend to be long. However, a longer runtime means that theaters will be limited to scheduling showtimes on a given day. This is even more critical as the sequel will be fighting for screens against another major movie, Wicked. Both films will be released on the same day, November 22, making it this year’s equivalent of Barbenheimer. While Wicked is even longer than Gladiator II, clocking at two hours and 40 minutes, presale numbers indicate that the Broadway adaptation may have the box office advantage over Scott’s epic sequel.
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It was revealed last week that the Wicked movie has already clinched many presale ticket records, including the second-best first-day ticket pre-seller of 2024 and no. 3 best PG-rated first-day ticket pre-seller of all time. While it’s too close to call which movie will become the number one movie that week, these early numbers suggest that the musical adaptation will likely top the box office charts against Scott’s long-awaited sequel.
The Wicked stage play is one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time, which indicates the huge interest in the movie.
However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise as Gladiator II is rated R, which would limit its demographic. Furthermore, this is not too different from Barbie and Oppenheimer, with the latter being longer at three hours. This didn’t hurt either movie, as the Barbenheimer phenomenon helped both perform exceptionally well at the box office. Furthermore, early data has shown that Wicked and Gladiator II are neck and neck at the box office, with both receiving equal interest from audiences. Therefore, it’s expected that Gladiator II could perform fairly well, and its shorter runtime may come as a boost to secure more screens.
Our Take On Gladiator II’s Runtime
What Matters Is If The Movie Is Good
Ultimately, Gladiator II‘s box office success doesn’t come down to runtime, as that is just one of many factors to consider. Rather, the critical reception will play a big role in helping moviegoers decide whether the sequel is worth watching. This is due to Scott’s own underwhelming track record, where movies like Napoleon, House of Gucci, and The Last Duel failed to interest audiences. However, it could be possible that Gladiator II is the exception, with the filmmaker considering it one of his best movies.
It’s going to need all the screens it can get since the projected budget for the movie ranges from $250 million to 310 million.
Nevertheless, Gladiator II‘s shorter runtime could be a smart move to secure as many screenings as possible. It’s going to need all the screens it can get since the projected budget for the movie ranges from $250 million to 310 million. This means that the sequel would need at least $620 million to break even, which will be quite a major task for Scott and his sequel.
Source: Fandango
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
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November 22, 2024
- Studio(s)
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Paramount Pictures
, Universal Pictures
, Scott Free Productions
, Red Wagon Entertainment - Distributor(s)
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Paramount Pictures
- Writers
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David Scarpa
, Peter Craig
, David Franzoni - Cast
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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)
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Lucius Verus
, Marcus Acacius
, Macrinus
, Lucilla
, Emperor Caracalla
, Emperor Geta
, Gracchus - Main Genre
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Adventure
