The release of the trailer forGladiator IIon July 9 not only kick-started awave of positive buzz for the film, it became one of the most-watched trailers for a Paramount movie ever. In just the first 48 hours, the trailer for theRidley Scottfilm was viewed 177 million times across all social media platforms, according to a report byDeadline. While the strong response to the trailer gives the studio hope that, in the midst of a disappointing box office season, the sequel to the Oscar-winning modern classic can deliver for Scott, the trailer managed to rack up a worrying amount of dislikes on YouTube.
The trailer’s performance far exceeds the numbers earned by Paramount’s last monster hit,Top Gun: Maverick, when it released its trailer in 2022.Mavericktallied 75 million views of its trailer in its first 24 hours.Gladiator IInearly doubled that, with 128 million views in its first 24 hours across Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and YouTube.WithTop Gun: Maverickgoing on to a $1.5 billion worldwide box office haul,Gladiator IIhopes the positive response to its trailer will translate into similar ticket sales.
The film, which opens November 22, stars Paul Mescal as an adult Lucius, who was a child in the original Russell Crowe film. In the sequel, Lucius finds himself fighting for his freedom in the gladiator arena, and facing another defiant ruler in Rome. The film also stars Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius and Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta.
A month ago,Gladiator IIhad little to no online buzz among movie fans, with little information about the film circulating online. With the trailer’s release, however, fans reacted strongly to the A-list cast and the outstanding visuals, which evoked the tone of the original film. The only negative feedback came from viewers whodisliked the choice of modern music in the trailer, from artists Jay-Z and Kanye West.
Pedro Pascal Reveals the Jocular Nickname He Gave Paul Mescal After He Got Fighting Fit
Pedro Pascal describes having to fight Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2: “I would rather be thrown from a building.”
Gladiator IIHas Assembled an A-List Cast
Gladiator IIis set two decades after the first film, and withRussell Crowe’s Maximus obviously not returning, the sequel is relying on an A-list cast to tell the story.There are only two cast members returning from the 2000 film: Connie Nielsen reprises the role of Lucilla, the mother of Lucius, and Derek Jacobi returns as Senator Gracchus.Mescal replaces Spencer Treat Clark, who portrayed Lucius in the original film.
Joining the cast are two Hollywood acting heavyweights. Oscar winner Denzel Washington’s Macrinus is a former slave who has become a powerful but cruel figure in Rome, thanks to his stable of highly successful gladiators. Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian,The Last of Us) is Marcus Acacius, a former Roman general who now fights in the Colosseum. Jospeh Quinn, who rose to fame playing Eddie Munson in Netflix’sStranger Things, is the main antagonist as the Emperor, a role not unlike Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus in the original film.
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.
The positively overwhelming response to the trailer could mean some sword-and-sandal magic again at the box office for Paramount.The originalGladiatorwon five Oscars in 2001, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Crowe), and it grossed over $50 million worldwide.With Scott (Blade Runner, Alien) behind the camera once again, fans are hopeful the sequel willrecapture the greatness of the original epic.
The fall is shaping up to be a promising time for movie theaters, thanks in part to theGladiator IIbuzz. Adding to the hype is the release of the film adaptation of the Broadway musicalWickedon the same day. That pairing is already drawing comparisons tolast year’s “Barbenheimer” trendthat saw millions of moviegoers filling seats. Disney’sMoana IIopens a few days later, which could encourage ticket sales throughout the holiday season.
Gladiator IIopens November 22 in North America, and November 15 worldwide.
