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.
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
Cast & Characters
Lucius
Paul Mescal
Macrinus
Denzel Washington
General Acacius
Pedro Pascal
Lucilla
Connie Nielsen
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
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 2026-07-29
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.