Over 20 years after the release of Gladiator (2000), a highly anticipated follow-up is due to hit theaters soon. The first film was directed by Ridley Scott and featured Russell Crowe as the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius. After being betrayed by a usurper and forced into slavery, Maximus vows revenge on the new emperor. Gladiator won five Academy Awards and was the second-highest grossing film of the year.
With such a long period of time in between installments, fans understandably have some questions about the new movie. Keep reading to find out what we know so far about Gladiator II.
When does Gladiator 2 come out?
It’s scheduled to be released in the United States on November 22, and in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2024.
What is Gladiator 2 about?
Set over 20 years after the events of the first movie, Paul Mescal plays Lucius Verus, the son of the aforementioned Maximus. When the Roman Army invades his home, he is enslaved and resolves to become a gladiator under the tutelage of a former slave (played by Denzel Washington). A plot to get revenge against their oppressors emerges.
When does Gladiator 2 take place?
We don’t know the exact year, but Gladiator takes place in 180 CE, so it stands to reason that Gladiator 2 is set around 200-210 CE. Considering many of the characters are based on real historical figures, some sources have speculated that the timeline of emperors places the sequel in 211 CE. However, it’s possible that Ridley Scott will take creative liberties with historical events, as he did with the first film.
Is Gladiator 2 a sequel?
Yes! It’s not only set in the same universe; it references characters and events from the first movie. Ridley Scott also directs both films.
Negotiations for a sequel began as early as 2001, but the project entered development hell until 2018, when Paramount green-lit a sequel.
Is Gladiator based on a true story?
The movie is loosely based on real people and events, and it was inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s book The Way of the Gladiator (previously published under the title Those About to Die). This gripping book traces the rise and fall of the Roman games as a national (and bloody) institution.
In an interview with Hollywood Insider, David Franzoni, co-writer of the original screenplay, explained how he first encountered the book. When he was 25, he went on an intercontinental motorcycle trip that started in Berlin, and was surprised by how many coliseums he passed as he journeyed east. He also swapped books with an Australian girl he met in Baghdad. She gave him Those About to Die, which he described as “a crazy, tawdry, wild book about the Coliseum.” He decided then and there that if he ever became a screenwriter, he would work on a movie about gladiators.
The Way of the Gladiator
The book that inspired the stories of Gladiator & Gladiator II: Step into the ring with this classic, in-depth account of the ancient Romans’ obsession with the bloody and brutal games.
