Gladiator II
Legacy never dies
Years after witnessing the death of Maximus, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome.
Directed by Ridley Scott · Action · Adventure · Drama · 148 min · 2024
Trailer
Director
Ridley Scott
Studio
Paramount Pictures / Scott Free Productions
Release
November 22, 2024
Runtime
148 min
Genres
Action, Adventure, Drama
Box office
$460.5 million worldwide
Full Plot
Rome, circa 209 A.D. Sixteen years after the demise of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator (2000), the Roman Empire is now ruled by the tyrannical Emperors Caracalla and Geta. As tensions mount, an enslaved Numidian leader arrives in the city as a gladiator, putting allegiances to the test. No one knows who he is, but with sinister schemes threatening the Republic, can this humble defender restore Rome to its former glory?
Cast & Characters
Lucius
Paul Mescal
Macrinus
Denzel Washington
General Acacius
Pedro Pascal
Lucilla
Connie Nielsen
Emperor Geta: The co-emperor of Rome alongside his brother, Caracalla. Scott described the pair as "damaged goods from birth" who are "almost a replay of Romulus and Remus", with another inspiration being Beavis and Butt-Head from the MTV adult cartoon of the same name. Quinn took inspiration from Philip Seymour Hoffman's Owen Davian from Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Gary Oldman's Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg from The Fifth Element (1997) for playing his character, not wanting to copy Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Commodus from the previous film. One inspiration for Geta's look was John Lydon.
Joseph Quinn
Emperor Caracalla: The co-emperor of Rome alongside his brother, Geta. He ahistorically has a pet Capuchin monkey named Dondus, and is less stable than his brother due to cognitive erosion in his brain. Hechinger discussed with Scott about finding inspirations to build Caracalla's look from Sid Vicious, with Caracalla's pet monkey serving as another inspiration for the character's "crazed behavior".
Fred Hechinger
Viggo: The trainer of gladiators for Macrinus. A former gladiator, Viggo is a "tough guy" who escorts the gladiators to their fights.
Lior Raz
Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes the growing corruption of the Imperial Court. Jacobi reprises his role from the first film.
Derek Jacobi
Jugurtha: A black Numidian chieftain who mentored Lucius after the latter was exiled from Rome, with whom he is later enslaved and forced to become a gladiator.
Peter Mensah
the Master of Ceremonies: The Colosseum's public address announcer.
Matt Lucas
Ravi: A former gladiator from Varanasi, India who earned his freedom and then chose to serve as a doctor to wounded combatants.
Alexander Karim
Senator Thraex: A gambling-addicted, corrupt member of the Roman Senate who owes Macrinus a tremendous amount of money.
Tim McInnerny
Did You Know?
Gladiator II arrived nearly 24 years after the original 2000 film, one of the longest gaps between a film and its sequel.
Source: Paramount Pictures production history · verified 2026-07-29
Ridley Scott returned to direct at age 86, continuing the story he began with the Best Picture-winning original.
Source: Production background · verified 2026-07-29
Gladiator II grossed $172.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Gladiator II holds a 6.4/10 on IMDb (296,954 votes), a 64/100 on Metacritic, and a 70% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes — a respectable but more divisive reception than its predecessor, which won Best Picture.
“Denzel Washington steals every scene he's in.” — The Hollywood Reporter “Entertaining spectacle that never quite recaptures the original's gravitas.” — Rolling Stone
Critics were split on whether the sequel could live up to its Best Picture-winning predecessor (70% RT), with Washington's performance frequently singled out as the film's strongest element regardless of overall reception.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedGladiator II's 70% RT score after a 24-year wait shows the sequel found solid commercial success without fully matching the critical heights of the original Best Picture winner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gladiator II's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Gladiator II holds a 70% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Gladiator II's IMDb rating?+
Gladiator II has a 6.4/10 rating on IMDb from 296,954 votes.
What is Gladiator II's Metacritic score?+
Gladiator II has a Metascore of 64/100 on Metacritic.
Is Gladiator II good? What are critics saying?+
Gladiator II holds a 6.4/10 on IMDb (296,954 votes), a 64/100 on Metacritic, and a 70% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes — a respectable but more divisive reception than its predecessor, which won Best Picture.
How long is Gladiator II?+
Gladiator II has a runtime of 148 min.
Who directed Gladiator II?+
Gladiator II was directed by Ridley Scott.
Where can I watch Gladiator II?+
Gladiator II is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Plex, Paramount Plus, Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, Netflix, Zee5.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Gladiator II" has been met with mostly positive reviews. Critics praise its cinematic experience and impressive spectacle, even if it doesn't achieve groundbreaking impact compared to the original. Some viewers enjoyed the sequel more than the first film, appreciating its strong performances and gripping action. However, comparisons will be inevitable and some reviewers feel that "Gladiator II" never quite reaches the level of iconic status achieved by the 2000 classic.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/gladiator-ii-review-a-legacy-sequel-that-triumphs-through-spectacle-and-emotion/ "Gladiator II may not achieve the groundbreaking impact of the original film, but it remains an impressive cinematic experience, transporting audie…
Manuel São Bento · 8/10Another trash Woke movie from Hollywood. There were never black (African) emperors in Roman empire... This movie is simply false propaganda.
Dean · 1/10_Gladiator II_, a polished echo of the original, is a testament to Ridley Scott's cinematic powers. It follows his hit-and-miss _Napoleon_ biopic last year, which was rather miss than hit. The sequel captures the original's essence while introducing elements, making it a worthy s…
griggs79 · 8/10<em>'Gladiator II'</em> is awesome! I only watched the original three years ago, almost to the day in fact, but I was anticipating this follow-up after thoroughly loving the Russell Crowe film. Honestly, I think I kinda enjoyed this sequel more - at worst, the two are on the same…
r96sk · 9/10Sixteen years after "Maximus" (Russell Crowe) bit the dust, we find ancient Rome under the control of twins "Geta" (Joseph Quinn) and his brother "Caracalla" (Fred Hechinger) and thanks to their general "Acacias" (Pedro Pascal) continuing to expand their empire. It's this latter…
CinemaSerf · 6/10Comparisons will be inevitable and Gladiator II will never be as iconic as the 2000 classic. However it is very good, strong all-around with gripping action and a well executed script. Performances are very good, with some pleasant surprises.
DWP · 7/10Gladiator II features some impressive action sequences. Every battle in the Colosseum is fantastic despite how historically inaccurate they may be. The monkey sequence showcases how skilled Hanno (Paul Mescal) is not only as a fighter but also in how he interacts with others. The…
Chris Sawin · 5/10pssst.... it's woke, but that's no surprise. What is a surprise is that people are giving spoiler alerts. I don't understand why. Like so many movie squeals and reboots what you have here is Gladiator with everything intelligent and entertaining sucked out of it. So it's the same…
GenerationofSwine · 1/10Are you not entertained? Well, quite frankly, no.... Gladiator II or Gladiator lite as I like to call it is the "essentials" brand version of Gladiator. You know like, the "essentials brand" of underpants as opposed to known brands like Bendon or Jockey. They do the job, they're…
MovieGuys · 5/10After many years, the sequel of the movie is really great, go to the cinema and watch it.
Elif Duru Alaca · 9/10Denzel is a badass. I love Denzel. He does the tongue thing from Joaquin's role in the first. Not even he could save this pile of crap. The CGI somehow is worse than the original. Historical battles are cool but not even historical battles could save this pile of crap. The Mandal…
Chandler Danier · 4/10When Ridley Scott decided to revisit Gladiator, it sounded like an opportunity to expand on one of the greatest historical epics. Instead, we got a rehash that feels more like a missed opportunity than a bold sequel. The first act rushes through familiar territory. A general, bor…
RalphRahal · 5/10$250 million, and the best we get is… rabid monkeys? Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 feels like a parody of itself. Pascal’s character is utterly unnecessary, a cardboard figure who exists solely to fill runtime without contributing anything memorable or meaningful. D.W., despite his…
FerdinandoLM · 4/10This is the story that answers how things went after the first movie. My hopes wasn't great for this part 2 but I was positively surprised. Its a great movie with lots of entertainment. 7/10
From the trailer's comments
"We only have one black guy in the movie, boss." "Blast a rap song over the trailer!"
@GHFrankie · 33963 likes"This Jay Z song mentions a colosseum" "Yeah stick that in there"
@luxc2 · 30477 likesAbsolutely nobody: Denzel with a NY accent in Rome: Myyy gladiata'
@Zulqi29 · 17995 likesCan't wait for Gladiator 3 !! Will Smith , Kevin hart, The Rock and Diddy 🔥
@USMC757 · 1287 likesWhen the rap starts playing, I thought Vin Diesel was going to show up with his V8 in the arena
@S5NDROID · 26771 likesScene: "release the lion" Sound track: "I woke up in a new bugatti"
@Algorythmfpv · 11594 likesThe vibe they went for with this trailer is so out of alignment with the emotion of the first movie.
@icikle · 11565 likesThe casting for this movie and energy is so different from the first one. Sometimes you have to know when to leave well enough alone.
@tara7550 · 145 likes
