While Gladiator 2 will continue the story that began in Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning Gladiator, it will star a new lead, and should shatter a box office for the up-and-coming star. Following the death of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, Gladiator 2 will advance the story with Paul Mescal, who will star as the grown-up version of Lucius, the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Emperor Commodus. Gladiator 2 has completed filming with its new star, and with the release date swiftly approaching, box office projections are a common point of speculation.
Gladiator 2 is a near-lock to be a box office success given the significant star power of its cast list. In addition to Mescal, major roles will be played by Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and the returning Connie Nielsen, among other notable names. While Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 role might be the most intriguing, the box office numbers will matter the most to Mescal.
Gladiator 2: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know
More than 20 years after the original Gladiator, the sequel is happening. Here is everything we know about Gladiator 2’s release, cast, and story.
Gladiator 2 Will Easily Become Paul Mescal’s Biggest Box Office Hit
Mescal has never been in a movie that cracked even $10 million at the box office.
Given the many factors working in its favor including a 20-year hiatus between the original and its sequel, Gladiator 2 is sure to be a box office smash, regardless of whether the movie is a critical hit. Therefore, it will easily shatter Paul Mescal’s current box office record. As of now, Mescal’s highest-grossing movie to date is Aftersun, the widely acclaimed coming-of-age drama that earned the Irish actor an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2023.
As well-received as the movie was, it only grossed $8.3 million at the box office. Besides Aftersun, Mescal has a number of films under his belt that showcase his acting prowess despite being only 27 years old. None have ever achieved a box office total higher than Aftersun, which means that Gladiator 2 will easily break Mescal’s personal box office record. In fact, given Gladiator‘s $500 million box office haul as a benchmark, there is a chance that Gladiator 2 can beat Ridley Scott’s last 5 movies combined.
Gladiator 2 Can Help Turn Paul Mescal Into A Major Hollywood Star
His work has been widely praised, but he’s still not known to the general public.
Mescal is known in film circles for his work in films like Aftersun, but he is still a relative unknown to the general public. That should change almost overnight if Gladiator 2 performs well at the box office, which again is a near-certainty. Being on the screen with film icons like Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen will do wonders for Mescal’s fame, and will essentially make him a star overnight.
The original Gladiator had a similar effect on Russell Crowe’s career. While it was far from his first role in American cinema, Crowe’s first widely recognized role came in 1997’s L.A. Confidential. It wasn’t until Gladiator was released in 2000 that Crowe became a household name. Even if Gladiator 2 falls short of the critical acclaim generated by its predecessor, it should still be a launching point for Paul Mescal’s career as one of Hollywood’s most prominent young actors.
Gladiator 2
- Release Date:
- 2024-11-22
- Director:
- Ridley Scott
- Cast:
- Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Pedro Pascal
- Rating:
- Not Yet Rated
- Genres:
- Action, Drama, Epic, History
- Writers:
- David Scarpa
- Studio(s):
- Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Scott Free Productions, Red Wagon Entertainment
- Distributor(s):
- Paramount Pictures
- prequel(s):
- Gladiator
