Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II—starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen—roared onto the big screen over the weekend and is a hit worldwide. Now the film is finally here, will the story continue?
Gladiator II opened in North American theaters on November 22, when it head-to-head with the movie musical adaptation of the Broadway classic Wicked. Together, Glicked—as the films were dubbed in the media—earned more than $200 million domestically over the weekend.
Per The Numbers, Gladiator II earned $55 million domestically in its first Friday to Sunday frame. Combined with Gladiator II’s international numbers that date back to November 15 when the film opened overseas, the sequel to the 2000 Best Picture Oscar winner Gladiator has earned $220.3 million.
Of course, the prospect of any sequel generally relies on how well a film performs in theaters and as such, Gladiator II is off to a good start. The first big obstacle Gladiator II needs to conquer is the film’s production spend, which Variety noted was $250 million. On top of that, Variety added, that Gladiator II cost $100 million to promote.
On its face, making back the reported $250 million it took to create Gladiator II seems manageable since the film has earned $220.3 million to date. But it can’t be forgotten that Gladiator II’s studio, Paramount Pictures, will be splitting the proceeds with theater owners.
If Gladiator II gains momentum at the box office, the idea of a possible sequel will become clearer in the coming weeks. Plus, since the film is coming out as awards season begins to heat up, nominations from major industry and critics organizations could go a long way in convincing Paramount Pictures to proceed with a Gladiator III.
Ridley Scott Already Has Ideas To Continue The ‘Gladiator II’ Story with ‘Gladiator III’
Gladiator II director Ridley Scott didn’t need to see opening weekend numbers to start formulating ideas for a potential Gladiator III.
In an interview with Total Film in October, Scott, 86, said he’s already working on a plot for Gladiator III, Scott said of a potential Gladiator III, “I’ve already got eight pages. I’ve got the beginning of a very good footprint.”
If Scott has his way, his Gladiator story will be a trilogy, a la Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.
Discussing the potential set-up for a Gladiator III, Scott told The Hollywood Reporter, “I always had this idea that The Godfather ends with Michael not wanting the job. He sits there, and there’s this push-in on Al [Pacino]. He’s already had his hand kissed. He’s betrayed his wife with lies. [Lucius] isn’t quite that evil at all. He’s wondering, ‘Father, what do I do?’ Paul not wanting the job is a good place to start.”
Rated R, Gladiator II—starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen—is playing in theaters worldwide.
Read the full article here