Ridley Scott’s long-awaited swords-and-sandals sequelGladiator IIis now streaming on Paramount+, and Denzel Washington’s scene-stealing performance is not to be missed. Released 24 years after the Oscar-winning original film starring Russell Crowe,Gladiator IIstarsPaul Mescal as Maximus’ illegitimate son Lucius, who goes on his own journey from soldier to slave to gladiator to champion. Along the way, he’s trained by the mysterious Macrinus, played by Washington, and seeks vengeance against Acacius, the ruthless general who killed his wife and married his mom, played by Pedro Pascal.
One of the messages ofGladiatorwas that people’s actions echo through eternity, so a sequel was always viable to show the echoes of Maximus’ actions. Scott developed aGladiatorsequel in various forms before finally settling on a story he wanted to tell (and now,he’s already working on a script forGladiator III). When it was released in theaters in November,Gladiator IIreceived mixed reviews from critics, but it’s definitely worth checking out at its new streaming home. Washington’s show-stopping 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 release,Gladiator IIis now available to stream on Paramount+. Paramount Pictures distributed the sequel after DreamWorks and Universal handled the first one, and it’ll surely be a huge boon to the studio’s fledgling streaming service.Gladiator IIruns for 148 minutes, which is seven minutes shorter than the first film, but still pretty long. Watching it on Paramount+ at home will give audiences the chance to pause it in the middle to use the bathroom, a luxury they didn’t have at movie 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 isn’t quite up to the task of leadingGladiator IIwith a Crowe-like action hero performance. Pascal gives a subversively sympathetic turn as the villainous Acacius, but he’s underutilized in this overstuffed ensemble. Washington’s performance alone makes the sequel worth watching, though. He playsMacrinus, a former slave who now trains gladiators. Although Macrinus starts out as a caring mentor figure in Lucius’ fighting career, he turns out to have a sinister ulterior motive that reveals itself in the second half of the film.
Denzel Washington Gives Gladiator 2 A Massive Difference To The First Movie That I Did Not Expect
Denzel Washington brought something to Gladiator 2 that I never expected to see in the sequel: comedy. Macrinus is a laugh riot in this movie.
Washington imbuesGladiator IIwith a refreshing sense of humorthat its predecessor didn’t have. He steals every scene he’s in with charisma, comic energy, and unbridled enthusiasm. Out of all the actors inGladiator II,Washington seems to be having the most fun. But as funny as his character is, he’s also capable of turning on the villainy when he takes a dark turn. This performance is a masterclass, and although Macrinus is just a supporting role, Washington makesGladiator IIa must-see.
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
Taken on its own merits,Gladiator IIis a riveting historical action epic with powerful performances and breathtaking battle scenes. It’s hurt by the inevitable comparisons 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 lower rating of 71%.They both have better scores from audiences:Gladiatorhas an audience score 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 whopping $250 million. Plus, there have been 24 years of inflation since the firstGladiatormovie came out, soGladiator II’s $450 million gross in 2024 dollars is nowhere near as impressive asGladiator’s $450 million gross in 2000 dollars.
$103 million
$250 million
$451,683,599
$458,610,486
80%
71%
87%
82%
AlthoughGladiator IIwas widely praised for its action scenesand the cast’s performances, many reviews claimed it was let down by being too derivative of its predecessor.Lucius’ journey in the sequel is almost identical to his father’s journey in the first film: he’s a soldier who loses his family, gets taken as a slave, rises through the gladiatorial ranks to become a beloved celebrity, and seeks revenge.Gladiator IIis at its best when it breaks away from the original narrative, gives Washington a bigger spotlight, and tells its own story about the political machinations of Ancient Rome.
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.
