Forget the Romans, it’s Ridley Scott’s empire that’s spanning the globe these days.
Gladiator II, his sequel to his sword-and-sandals epic, has broken his own box office record, landing the Geordie filmmaker his biggest ever overseas opening weekend.
Twenty-four years on from the Russell Crowe-starring original, the sequel has taken a mighty $87m since opening internationally on Friday. It opens in US theaters this Friday.
Was Gladiator a box office hit?
The first Gladiator took $34.8 million over its opening weekend in 2000 – approximately $63 million in 2024 terms – and grossed $430m across its theatrical run.
The movie stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, a reluctant warrior sent into the Colosseum and the viper’s nest of Ancient Rome. There, a pair of psychotic emperors, Denzel Washington’s scheming slave dealer, and his estranged mother (Connie Nielson) all await.
Surprisingly, it’s Scott’s biggest ever overseas opening weekend, beating The Martian ($54 million), and – fun fact – represents the highest international opening for a R-rated Paramount Pictures movie. Take a bow, limb-severing CGI sharks.
Take a bow, too, UK cinemagoers who contributed $11.4 million to the pot.
France was next ($10.3m), followed by Spain ($5.6m), Australia ($4.9m) and Mexico ($4.7m), per Variety,
In short? Gird your loins for Gladiator III.
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