Andrew Grush / Android Authority
Gladiator is easily one of the more exciting and unique historical dramas to ever debut and I remember it being quite a big deal when I was growing up. Decades later a sequel is on its way and with it comes plenty of questions. When will Gladiator 2 be released? Will it come to streaming and which services? What’s it about? We answer this and several other important questions in this quick guide.
Gladiator 2 release date
The Gladiator 2 release date is set for Friday, November 22, and will be exclusively in theaters initially. Given the hype here, you can expect a long and successful theatrical run. When it does eventually leave theaters you can expect it to first hit VOD platforms like Amazon Video and Vudu before it makes its way to a subscription streaming platform.
The stronger a movie performs the longer it takes to hit streaming services so it might be a while, but when it does surface you can expect it on Paramount Plus. Paramount holds the rights to the series and even has the original Gladiator film available for streaming right now.
What is Gladiator 2 about?
Set many years after the death of legendary hero Maximus, this new tale puts us in the shoes of Lucius. Decades after witnessing the death at the hands of his corrupt uncle, Lucius himself is now forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by tyrants who lead Rome with an iron grasp. If this sounds just like a rehash of the first just with a few little twists and changes, that’s because in many ways it is. Nonetheless, we imagine there are likely to be quite a few changes in the formula to make this one feel fresh. Based on the trailer, that includes some pretty epic battles that might not be a particularly realistic depiction of what the Roman gladiatorial games were like with rhinos running around and whatnot, but hey, it’s fun!
Gladiator 2 new and returning cast
Gladiator 2 will once again be helmed by Ridley Scott but due to the time gap and the decisive nature of the first film’s conclusion, there won’t be many returning characters. While Lucius is technically a recurring character, the grown-up version of the boy from the first movie is played by Paul Mescal this time around.
The only major returning star from the first film is Connie Nielsen, who played Lucius’ mother in the first film. As for the rest of the cast? Let’s break down some of the bigger roles below:
- Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, a General supposedly trained by Maximus (though not seen in the first film)
- Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a former Roman Emperor from what is now modern-day Algeria.
- Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger star as Emperors Geta and Caracalla.
It’s worth noting that Geta was originally set to be played by Barry Keoghan, but was recast due to scheduling conflicts. For those hoping you’d see Russel Crowe despite the character’s death, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that is happening. While it’s technically possible he could make a surprise appearance in a flashback thanks to digital deaging, we certainly wouldn’t bet on it.
