Gladiator II

Ridley Scott ’s long - wait swords - and - sandal sequelGladiator IIis now streaming on Paramount+ , and Denzel Washington ’s conniption - stealing performance is not to be missed . release 24 years after the Oscar - winning original film asterisk Russell Crowe , Gladiator IIstarsPaul Mescal as Maximus ’ illegitimate boy Lucius , who goes on his own journey from soldier to knuckle down to prizefighter to champion . Along the fashion , he ’s trained by the orphic Macrinus , played by Washington , and seeks vengeance against Acacius , the remorseless general who kill his married woman and get married his mamma , played by Pedro Pascal .

One of the message ofGladiatorwas that the great unwashed ’s actions echo through eternity , so a continuation was always practicable to show the echoes of Maximus ’ actions . Scott developed aGladiatorsequel in various form before finally settle on a story he wanted to tell ( and now , he ’s already working on a script forGladiator III ) . When it was released in dramatic art in November , Gladiator IIreceived miscellaneous reviews from critics , but it ’s definitely deserving checking out at its new streaming place . Washington ’s show - stop performance alone makes theGladiatorsequel a must - see .

Gladiator 2 Is Now Streaming On Paramount+

The Gladiator Sequel Can Now Be Enjoyed At Home

Just two months after its initial theatrical vent , Gladiator IIis now uncommitted to stream on Paramount+ . Paramount Pictures distributed the sequel after DreamWorks and Universal handle the first one , and it ’ll surely be a immense boon to the studio ’s fledgling streaming service . Gladiator IIruns for 148 minutes , which is seven hour shorter than the first film , but still pretty long . Watching it on Paramount+ at dwelling house will give interview the chance to pause it in the centre to use the can , a luxury they did n’t have at moving-picture show theaters .

Why Denzel Washington’s Performance Alone Makes Gladiator 2 Worth Watching

Washington Steals Every Scene He’s In

Mescal is a fantastic dramatic actor , but he is n’t quite up to the task of leadingGladiator IIwith a Crowe - alike military action hero performance . Pascal gives a subversively good-hearted crook as the nefarious Acacius , but he ’s underutilized in this overstuffed ensemble . Washington ’s carrying out alone makes the sequel worth follow , though . He playsMacrinus , a former slave who now trains gladiators . Although Macrinus starts out as a caring mentor build in Lucius ’ fighting career , he change state out to have a sinister later motive that let on itself in the 2d half of the film .

Denzel Washington brought something to Gladiator 2 that I never expected to see in the subsequence : comedy . Macrinus is a laugh bacchanal in this picture .

Washington imbuesGladiator IIwith a fresh sense of humorthat its predecessor did n’t have . He steal every scene he ’s in with charisma , comic vim , and unbridled enthusiasm . Out of all the actors inGladiator II , Washington seems to be throw the most fun . But as funny as his fictitious character is , he ’s also capable of grow on the villainy when he charter a dark spell . This performance is a masterclass , and although Macrinus is just a supporting role , Washington makesGladiator IIa must - see .

Gladiator II Official Poster

How Gladiator 2 Compares To Ridley Scott’s Original 2000 Movie

Gladiator 2 Was Well-Received, But Lost Points For Being Too Derivative Of Its Predecessor

accept on its own meritoriousness , Gladiator IIis a gripping historical action epical with powerful performances and breathtaking battle scenes . It ’s hurt by the inevitable compare it draws to its predecessor . WhileGladiator IIis a very well - made movie , Gladiatoris a bona fide masterpiece . Gladiatorhas 80 % on Rotten Tomatoes , whileGladiator IIhas a slightly low evaluation of 71%.They both have better mark from hearing : Gladiatorhas an hearing grievance of 87 % andGladiator IIhas an audience score of 82 % .

TheGladiatormovies grossed almost exactly the same amount at the worldwide box office — Gladiatorgrossed $ 451,683,599 , whileGladiator IIgrossed $ 458,610,486 ( viaThe Numbers ) — but the difference is thatGladiator IIhad more than twice the budget ofGladiator . Gladiatorcost $ 103 million to produce , whileGladiator IIcost a thumping $ 250 million . Plus , there have been 24 years of inflation since the firstGladiatormovie arrive out , soGladiator II ’s $ 450 million perfect in 2024 dollars is nowhere near as telling asGladiator ’s $ 450 million porcine in 2000 buck .

Gladiator

Denzel Washington as Macrinus in Gladiator II

Image via Paramount Pictures

Budget

$ 103 million

$ 250 million

Pedro Pascal’s Acacius tackling Paul Mescal’s Lucius in 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.

Worldwide Box Office

$ 451,683,599

$ 458,610,486

Denzel Washington looking up in Gladiator 2

RT Critics ' Score

80 %

71 %

Russell Crowe as Maximus facing a soldier in the forest in Gladiator

RT Audience Score

87 %

82 %

Headshot Of Paul Mescal In The 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs)

AlthoughGladiator IIwas wide praised for its action mechanism scenesand the cast ’s performances , many reviews claimed it was permit down by being too derivative of its herald . Lucius ’ journey in the subsequence is almost identical to his father ’s journeying in the first film : he ’s a soldier who lose his family , gets taken as a hard worker , rises through the gladiatorial ranks to become a beloved famous person , and try revenge . Gladiator IIis at its best when it breaks away from the original story , gives Washington a bigger glare , and tells its own story about the political machination of Ancient Rome .

reference : The Numbers

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Cast

prizefighter 2 is the follow - up to Ridley Scott ’s laurels - 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 stick in growing hell for yr before a script written by David Scarpa ultimately moved forward .

Headshot Of Pedro Pascal In The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Movies

Gladiator II