Gladiator IIhas 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 originalGladiator, followingPaul Mescal’s Luciusas he becomes a hero of the Colosseum.Gladiator 2got 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 Mojonow reveals thatGladiator 2has 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 originalGladiator’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 regardingGladiator 2’s budgethave varied, butTHRpegged 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 ifTHR’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.
Every Ridley Scott Sequel & Prequel, Ranked Worst To Best
Ridley Scott’s three direct follow-ups to his previous films have ranged from impressive sequels to more tonally disjointed follow-ups.
Gladiator 2seemingly 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 thatGladiator 2will be a very modest success. Scott, however, seems quite pleased with his sequel’s performance and has said (viaMama’s Geeky) that “there’s certainly going to be a Gladiator 3.” WithScott so optimistic aboutGladiator 3, it’s entirely possible that the sequel’s break-even point is actually lower than the numbers above.
Gladiator 2doesn’t yet have a VOD release date, but it is certain to be a top performer when it does eventually land on digital.
Our Take On Gladiator 2’s Box Office Performance
The Film is Scott’s Highest Performer In 7 Years
Gladiator 2’s reviewshave 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% onRotten Tomatoescompared 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 whetherGladiator 3will happen, butit’s hard to imagine another movie getting made at the same budget levelas the sequel if it does. Still, it’s worth celebrating the sequel’s new box office milestone, especially since it’s Scott’s highest sinceThe Martiangrossed $630 million worldwide in 2015. Unfortunately, however,Gladiator 2certainly won’t be hitting these same highs.
Gladiator II
Cast
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.
