A sequel toGladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, withDavid Franzoni andJohn Logan set to return as screenwriters. Development was halted whenDreamWorks Pictures was sold to Paramount in 2006. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by David Scarpa. Filming took place between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month delay due to the2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Sixteen years afterMarcus Aurelius's death,[a]Rome is ruled by the corrupt twin emperorsCaracalla andGeta. In the North African kingdom ofNumidia, Hanno lives with his wife, Arishat. TheRoman army led by General Justus Acacius invades and conquers the kingdom, killing Arishat and enslaving Hanno and the other survivors. The enslaved people are taken toOstia, where the Romans pit them against baboons to advertise them as potentialgladiators. Hanno savagely kills one, impressing the stable masterMacrinus, who promises Hanno an opportunity to kill Acacius if he wins enough fights in Rome.
Acacius returns to Rome as a war hero. Caracalla and Geta prepare gladiatorial games in theColosseum to celebrate. Acacius asks for a break from war with his wifeLucilla, Aurelius' daughter, but the emperors refuse and plot to conquerPersia andIndia. Senator Thraex hosts a party for the emperors, featuring a gladiatorial duel. After Hanno wins, he recites a verse fromVirgil'sAeneid, revealing his Roman education and raising Macrinus' suspicion. Acacius and Lucilla conspire with Thraex and Senator Gracchus to overthrow the emperors and restore the Republic.
Hanno emulates the late legendary gladiatorMaximus in the Colosseum to win fights. Lucilla realizes that Hanno is her son, Lucius Verus, whom she sent away as a child to protect him from rivals for the throne afterher brother's death. Lucilla visits Lucius and tries reconnecting with him, but he angrily rebuffs her, believing she had abandoned him. Lucilla reveals to Lucius that he is Maximus' son and tells him to use his father's strength to survive. During anaval battle in the Colosseum, Lucius leads the gladiators to victory and fires a crossbow at the spectating Acacius but fails to kill him.
Ravi, the gladiators' physician, befriends Lucius and shows him the shrine to Maximus, which includes Maximus' sword and armor. Lucilla and Acacius conspire to free Lucius as part of their plot to dethrone the emperors. Thraex, who owes Macrinus money, informs him of the conspiracy; Lucilla and Acacius are arrested for treason. Macrinus advises the emperors to have Acacius killed in the Colosseum and arranges for Lucius to fight him. After a brief fight, Acacius surrenders to Lucius and professes his love for Lucilla and Maximus. Lucius refuses to execute Acacius, but thePraetorian Guard does so at the emperors' command, prompting the people to riot. When Macrinus questions Lucius' refusal to kill Acacius, Lucius argues that Rome can be a better place.
Macrinus tricks Caracalla into believing that Geta will blame him for the riot; Caracalla kills Geta with Macrinus' help. Lucilla and Lucius reconcile; she gives him her father's ring, which also belonged to Maximus and Acacius. Increasingly delusional, Caracalla names his monkey, Dondus, as aconsul alongside Macrinus. Macrinus persuades the Senate that he can restore order and assumes control of the Praetorians. He reveals to Lucilla that he was a slave under Aurelius' rule and vows to avenge himself by becoming emperor. Macrinus convinces Caracalla to have Lucilla executed in the Colosseum (thecrucifixion being allowed only on slaves andChristians), with only Lucius to defend her, hoping their deaths will trigger another riot that the Senate will defuse by executing Caracalla.
Lucius sends Ravi with the ring to request military aid from Acacius' legions outside Rome. Lucilla is brought into the Colosseum, accompanied by the senators with whom she conspired, while Lucius rallies the gladiators to revolt against their enslavers. Armed with Maximus' sword and armor, he leads the gladiators to defend Lucilla from execution. Gracchus is killed in the onslaught, while Macrinus kills Caracalla before fatally shooting Lucilla with an arrow. Macrinus flees the rioting city with Lucius in pursuit.
Acacius' legions and Macrinus' Praetorians confront each other outside Rome. To prevent a battle, Lucius duels Macrinus. Lucius ultimately kills Macrinus and reveals his identity as the imperial heir, persuading both armies to unite with him for a stronger Rome. Later, Lucius mourns his parents in the Colosseum.
Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus Aurelius / "Hanno": The grandson of the former emperorMarcus Aurelius and son ofMaximus Decimus Meridius, the protagonist ofthe first film.[9] Following his father's death, Lucius was sent away fromRome as a child by his mother, Lucilla, to protect him from assassins. They have not met in around 15 years.[10] Lucius lives with his wife inNumidia but is taken prisoner by the Roman army after they invade his home and kill his wife. He is sold into slavery to become a gladiator in theColosseum. He seeks revenge against the Romans and their general, Acacius. Alfie Tempest portrays a young Lucius.
Pedro Pascal as General Acacius: A general of theRoman army who trained under Maximus, and Lucilla's husband. Although he lives a luxurious lifestyle in Rome, he spends most of his time away on military campaigns for the emperors. He leads an army to take over Numidia and invades Lucius' home, but is disillusioned by war and does not want to lead more men to die for the emperors.[11] Acacius conspires with Lucilla to overthrow the emperors but is arrested and reduced to fighting as a gladiator in the Colosseum. According to Pascal, he is "a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer", serving as a symbol to Lucius of everything he hates.[12]
Connie Nielsen asLucilla: Lucius' mother, Maximus' former lover, and Aurelius' daughter. She sent Lucius away from Rome after Maximus' death to protect him from rivals for the imperial throne. Following Maximus' death, she marries Acacius. She watches Lucius fight in the Colosseum but initially does not recognize him as her son.[12] Due to her popularity among the people of Rome, she is feared and exploited by those in power, such as the emperors.[13] Nielsen reprises her role from the first film.[12]
Denzel Washington as Macrinus (loosely inspired by the historical figureMarcus Opellius Macrinus[14][15]): A formerAethiope slave who plans to control Rome.[11] He keeps a stable of gladiators and mentors Lucius. He also works as an arms dealer, providing weapons, food, and oil to the Roman armies in Europe. DirectorRidley Scott described him as "pretty fucking cruel" to the arena fighters,[12] with Washington adding that he "wants to be Emperor and he's willing to do anything to get there".[16] Scott also noted that Macrinus has a "twinkle" ofbisexuality, describing him as a gangster who started as aprisoner of war, became a gladiator, and earned his freedom.[17]
Fred Hechinger asEmperor Caracalla: The co-emperor of Rome alongside his brother, Geta. He has a pet monkey named Dondus, and is less stable than his brother due tocognitive erosion in his brain.[20] Hechinger discussed with Scott about finding inspirations to build Caracalla's look fromSid Vicious,[21] with Caracalla's pet monkey serving as another inspiration for the character's "crazed behavior".[20]
Lior Raz as Viggo: The trainer of gladiators for Macrinus. A former gladiator, Viggo is a "tough guy" who escorts the gladiators to their fights.[22]
Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of theRoman Senate who opposes the growing corruption of the Imperial Court. Jacobi reprises his role from the first film.[13]
Peter Mensah asJugurtha: 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.[23]
Matt Lucas as the Master of Ceremonies: The Colosseum's public address announcer.
Alexander Karim as Ravi: A former gladiator fromVaranasi,India who earned his freedom and then chose to serve as a doctor to wounded combatants.[23]
Tim McInnerny asSenator Thraex: A gambling-addicted, corrupt member of the Roman Senate who owes Macrinus a tremendous amount of money.
Although Macrinus displays his bisexuality in the film, Washington said that a scene involving Macrinus kissing another man wasdeleted from the film.[38] However, this was later disputed by Scott.[39]
In June 2001, developments for aGladiator (2000) follow-up began for either aprequel orsequel, withDavid Franzoni in early negotiations to once again serve as screenwriter.[40]Ridley Scott's logic to make a sequel was that, even though Maximus Decimus Meridius died at the end of the original film, what happened toLucius Verus was left ambiguous, considering the questions about his whereabouts perfect for a second film.[17] The following year, a sequel was announced to be moving forward withJohn Logan serving as screenwriter. The plot, set 15 years later, included thePraetorian Guards rulingRome, and an older Lucius—the son ofLucilla inGladiator—searching for the truth about his biological father. Franzoni signed on as producer, alongsideDouglas Wick andWalter Parkes.[41] In December 2002, the film's plot was announced to include prequel events regarding the parentage of Lucius, as well as sequel events depicting the resurrection of Maximus. The producers andRussell Crowe, who portrayed Maximus, collaboratively and extensively researched ancient Roman beliefs regarding theafterlife.[42] Although Crowe and Scott had discussed how to bring the former back by having his character resurrect, Scott concluded that Crowe would have to return either as Maximus' double or play another character.[17] By September 2003, Scott announced that the script was completed, while confirming that the story would primarily center on Lucius.[43]
Ridley Scott returned to directGladiator II two decades after the original.
In May 2006, Scott stated thatDreamWorks Pictures had wanted to make the sequel, but there were differing ideas for the story. Crowe had favoured a fantasy element in bringing Maximus back to life, while the studio were basing the film on Lucius as the son of Maximus and Lucilla. Scott also discussed the necessity of a more complex script with the corruption of Rome in the potential sequel.[44] During this time,Nick Cave was commissioned to write a new draft of the script. It was later revealed to be written under the working title of "Christ Killer". Cave described the plot as a "deities vs. deity vs. humanity" story. The story involved Maximus inpurgatory, who is resurrected as an immortal warrior for theRoman gods. Maximus is sent back toEarth and tasked with endingChristianity by killingJesus and hisdisciples, as Christianity was draining the power of the ancientPagan gods. During his mission, Maximus is tricked into murdering his own son. Cursed to live forever, Maximus fights in theCrusades,World War II and theVietnam War; with the ending revealing that in thepresent-day, the character now works atthe Pentagon. The script was rejected and scrapped afterSteven Spielberg, who had consulted on the original film, told Scott it wasn't going to work, especially as Cave had written something "too grand" due to his theatre work.[45][46][47][17]
After experiencing financial difficulties in the 2000s, DreamWorks Pictures—including the rights toGladiator and the rest of the pre-2006 live-action film library—was sold toParamount Pictures in 2006 and development on the sequel was halted.[48] Over the years, other attempts on a sequel script were made, but Scott felt that many writers "were afraid to take it on".[20] He also said that he and everyone involved in the original film were busy so no one thought about making a sequel, but as time passed, he noticed how wellGladiator aged to the point of seemingly having "taken a life of its own" that it made him feel that he owed the audience a continuation to that story.[20] Scott became determined to not let go of the project, deciding to do it for both creative and financial reasons if a good idea came up.[17] In March 2017, Scott revealed that the difficulties of reintroducing Maximus had been resolved. The filmmaker expressed enthusiasm for the future of the project, while discussions with Crowe to reprise his role were ongoing.[49]
A version of the script featured Maximus in a brief flashbackcameo appearance in the final scene.[51] In November 2018, it was announced that Paramount wasgreenlighting the development of a sequel. Scott was in early negotiations to once again serve as director, with a script written byPeter Craig. Scott would also serve as producer alongside Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Walter Parkes, and Laurie MacDonald, with the project being a joint-venture production between Paramount,Scott Free Productions,Red Wagon Entertainment, andParkes+MacDonald Image Nation.[52] In June 2019, the producers revealed that the script took place 25 to 30 years after the first film.[53] The plot was reported to center around Lucius.[54] In April 2021,Chris Hemsworth approached Crowe with a proposal to become involved with the project, with the intention to co-produce the film. While working together on theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmThor: Love and Thunder (2022), the two actors shared additional ideas for the film.[55]
By September 2021, Scott stated that the script was once again being worked on with his intention being to direct the sequel upon the completion of production onNapoleon (2023).[56] In November, it was revealed thatDavid Scarpa, who worked with Scott onNapoleon, was rewriting the script.[57] Scott stated in a 2023 interview that they had struggled for 10 months to write the script four years previously, until they revisited the idea of Lucius as the "survivor" of the original film.[58] According to Scott, the premise for the sequel began with the emperorsCaracalla andGeta. He said, "AfterCommodus's death, there was a scramble for the chair, and out of that eventually camea man who became the father of the two princes... One of them was just this side of being dysfunctional, a lunatic. The other one tried to control his brother. So that state of constant disagreement and fluctuating personalities was where we began."[59]
Originally greenlit with a production budget of$165 million, the cost of the film increased to a reported$310 million by the time filming wrapped, though Paramount insisted the net cost did not exceed$250 million.[2] Additionally, Scott's desire to have a rhino battle in the original film, which went unrealized due to cost, was included in the sequel.[60][61][62][63] November 14,Deadline Hollywood reported the film's net budget to be$210 million.[3] The production received €46.7 million in film incentive rebates from Malta, setting a record for the largest rebate issued for a film production in the European Union.[64]
In January 2023,Paul Mescal was cast in the film as the adult Lucius (originally portrayed bySpencer Treat Clark), while it was also reported thatArthur Max andJanty Yates, the production designer and costume designer of the original film, respectively, would also be returning to work on the sequel.[65] Scott was unaware of Mescal's fame until he watched his performance in theBBC Three/Hulu miniseriesNormal People, which he came across in his need for a "bedtime story". Shortly after, the story forGladiator II was completed, and Scott ultimately cast Mescal in the lead role after a briefZoom call.[58][12][20]Austin Butler,Richard Madden,Timothée Chalamet andMiles Teller had also been considered for the lead role.[66][67] Mescal was chosen afterDaria Cercek and Michael Ireland had seen his performance in theWest End revival ofA Streetcar Named Desire, claiming that the "ladies in the audience [had been] very vocal" when he had taken his shirt off.[68] Having seen the original film when he was 13 with his father, Mescal was invited for breakfast byLucy Fisher andDouglas Wick, who informed him about the sequel's casting, proceeding to tell Scott about his physical capabilities due to playingGaelic football in his youth while Scott found a striking resemblance toRichard Harris, who playedMarcus Aurelius in the original film. Scott opted to cast Mescal despite his newcomer status under the pretext he launched careers likewise forSigourney Weaver andBrad Pitt when he cast them in his filmsAlien (1979) andThelma & Louise (1991) respectively. To prepare for the role, Mescal didn't get in touch with Crowe to avoid audiences potentially thinking the film will define his career, trained physically, atesweet potato andground beef to put on 18pounds of muscle and remembered Roman history he studied at school,[69] in addition to practice fighting choreography, horse training and sword fighting.[20]
In March 2023,Barry Keoghan entered negotiations to join the cast in the role of EmperorCaracalla whileDenzel Washington joined the cast.[70][71] Regarding Scott and his brotherTony as "great filmmakers" who never miss, Washington accepted the role out of interest to work with the inspirational Scott again after their previous collaboration inAmerican Gangster (2007).[16] Additionally,John Mathieson was set to return as cinematographer for the film.[72] Scott did not conceiveMacrinus with Washington in mind, but felt inspired to cast him after seeing theJean-Léon Gérôme paintingMoorish Bath, which depicted a black bearded man with a jeweledDizzy Gillespie-like hat in orange and blue silk, inspiring the character's appearance, plus Washington's status as amethod actor.[17] In April 2023, it was announced thatConnie Nielsen andDjimon Hounsou would reprise their roles asLucilla and Juba respectively, whileJoseph Quinn was added to the cast as EmperorGeta.[73][74] In May 2023,Pedro Pascal,May Calamawy,Lior Raz,Derek Jacobi,Peter Mensah andMatt Lucas joined the cast of the film, withFred Hechinger entering negotiations to play Caracalla after Keoghan had to drop out over scheduling conflicts withSaltburn (2023). Jacobi reprises his role as Senator Gracchus.[75][26][17] Similarly to Mescal, Pascal underwent intense gladiator training for his role, which he found challenging, but deemed the experience "the most exciting" of his career due to growing up with Scott's films.[20] In December, Hounsou announced that, despite initially being involved, he would not be returning for the sequel due to scheduling conflicts.[76]
Part of the film were shot atFort Ricasoli in Malta.
Production was expected to begin in May 2023, withOuarzazate,Morocco set as a filming location.[77] Set construction began in the city in April.[78] Filming began in June 2023 with additional filming locations planned forMalta, which stood-in for ancient Rome, and theUnited Kingdom over the following four months,[79][80] with a few early sequences being shot in Morocco before flying to Malta to shoot the rest of the film. Mescal felt some nerves over shooting in the assembledColosseum and shooting scenes with Washington.[69] Scott purposely took Mescal to the Colosseum set so he could familiarize himself with it, as Mescal had not done any big studio movies before.[17] An accident involving fire during filming on June 7 injured six crew members.[81] Filming was suspended in July due to the2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[82] For a fight sequence, arhinoceros was created via3D printing controlled by radio remote, but filming the scene took two or three days and affected Mescal's physicality due to the temperature.[20] Filming resumed on December 4 in Malta,[83] andwrapped on January 17, 2024.[84] Filming also took place on theSouth Downs atDevil's Dyke, Sussex in June 2024.[85]
Harry Gregson-Williams composed the score for the film, taking over fromHans Zimmer andLisa Gerrard who had scored the first film.[86] Zimmer decided not to return because he did not want to repeat his work from the first film. In an interview withCurzon, he said that the film was "in really good hands" with Gregson-Williams, who had started his career as Zimmer's assistant.[87]
Gregson-Williams wrote 100 minutes of original score for the film, and used some of Zimmer and Gerrard's musical cues from the first film.[88]
Gladiator II had its world premiere inSydney on October 30, 2024.[89] It was released more widely in Australia, Italy and New Zealand on November 14.[90] It was released in the United Kingdom and some other territories the following day, and in the United States and Canada on November 22.Universal Pictures declined to co-finance the sequel or distribute it overseas as it had the first film, leaving onlyParamount Pictures as the worldwide distributor.[91][92] It was previously scheduled for a global release on November 22.[93]
On July 1, 2024, it had been announced that the film's release date would be shared withWicked, whose date was moved from November 27 to avoid competition withMoana 2. This sparked speculation on whether pitting the two films together could lead to a scenario similar to theBarbenheimer phenomenon, which was a result ofBarbie andOppenheimer both being released on July 21, 2023.[94] On July 10, 2024, Mescal called the double release "Glicked" and voiced his support for the two films to be shown as adouble feature, saying "It would be amazing 'cause I think the films couldn't be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So, fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend".[95]
Much like the original film,Gladiator II wasrated R by theMotion Picture Association due to "strong bloody violence".[98] Unlike other past films of his, Scott stated thatGladiator II will not receive adirector's cut, as he earned the right to have his final cut and removed some scenes during filming so he did not need to do so after finishing the film.[99]
In Australia, two cuts of the film were released; the original, uncutMA15+ version (with the consumer advice "strongthemes and violence"),[100] and the edited M-rated version ("animal cruelty, blood and gore, injury detail and violence") where blood spray is either trimmed down or removed.[101] The MA15+ rating was reinstated for the uncut home media release, with a revised consumer advice of "strong animal cruelty, violence and blood and gore".[102]
Footage of the film screened at theCinemaCon 2024 inLas Vegas included scenes of Joseph Quinn as Geta dressed in a white toga and laurel-leaf crown dramatically plunging his thumb downward to note the fate of defeated gladiators, with Nielsen in the background.[80] In June of that year, Scott showcased an extended clip of the film featuring Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Quinn.[103]
A poster for the film was released on July 8, 2024, with a trailer released the following day.[104] The trailer would also reportedly be attached to theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmDeadpool & Wolverine, which was released on July 26, 2024.[105] Jennifer Ouellette ofArs Technica said the trailer indicated the film "promises to be just as much of a visual feast, as a new crop of power players (plus a couple of familiar faces) clash over the future of Rome".[106] Rather than using an orchestral score, the first trailer used "No Church in the Wild" byJay-Z andKanye West, which caused a backlash among film fans who said it was too modern of a song choice. Some justified this choice of music by citing the trailer for the firstGladiator which had used "Bawitdaba" byKid Rock.[107]Screen Rant criticized how the second trailerspoiled theplot twist of Maximus being Lucius' father; while a common fan theory since the first film's release, Adam Bentz found it questionable to reveal in a trailer, as it could have been emotionally impactful for audiences like it was for Mescal when he found out his character's relationship with the original's protagonist.[108]
Gladiator II grossed$172.4 million in the United States and Canada, and$289.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of$462.2 million.[6][5]
In the United States and Canada,Gladiator II was projected to gross$60 million from 3,500 theaters in its opening weekend. It was released alongsideWicked, which was compared to 2023'sBarbenheimer due to the films' contrasting target audiences.[114][115] The film made$22 million on its first day, including$6.5 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to$55.5 million, finishing second behindWicked. It marked the biggest opening weekend of Denzel Washington's career, surpassingAmerican Gangster ($43.5 million in 2007), and also topped8 Mile ($51.2 million in 2002) for the best opening for a November R-rated film.[4] In its second weekend the film made$30.7 million (and a total of$44 million over the five dayThanksgiving frame), dropping 44% and finishing third behindMoana 2 andWicked.[116] In its third weekend the film made $12.5 million, remaining in third place.[117][118]
The film was released in 63 territories one week ahead of its U.S. release and earned$87 million, the biggest opening weekend of Scott's career.[119] The second weekend hadGladiator II earning$106 million worldwide to finish second behindWicked, with its$50.5 million internationally being slightly higher than the$50.2 million of its competitor.[120]
Washington was singled out and praised by critics.
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 70% of 403 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Echoing its predecessor while upping the bloodsport and camp,Gladiator II is an action extravaganza that derives much of its strength and honor from Denzel Washington's scene-stealing performance."[121]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 62 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[122] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale (down from the first film's A), while those surveyed byPostTrak gave it a 77% overall positive score, with 64% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.[4]
Christopher Campbell at Rotten Tomatoes summarized the reviews as having praised the action, performances, story, and visuals, and said some argued that "plot-wise it's actually too similar to its predecessor".[123] Nick Hyman at Metacritic stated that "most critics also feel that the film lives in the shadow of the more emotional and ultimately superior original."[124] Early reactions from the film's first screening at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on October 18, 2024, were positive. Critics praised Scott's direction, the set pieces, battle sequences and Mescal's and Washington's performances, mentioning that Scott and Washington could be nominated for theAcademy Awards, but a few felt the film lacked an "emotional punch" when compared to the original film.[125][126][127] Film critic Scott Menzel deemed the film Scott's best sinceThe Martian (2015), a "big, bloody and bad ass action spectacle" that builds upon the original film's legacy.[125]
Some inaccuracies include the siege of aNumidian city by Romantriremes[130] and the presence ofsharks in anaumachia.[131] Numidia had already been part of the Roman Empire for about 250 years during the reign of Caracalla.[132] University of Chicago historianShadi Bartsch described the film as "total Hollywood bullshit".[133] At the same time, baboons and a rhinoceros showcased on the Colosseum's arena are historically attested,[130] although there is no record of gladiators riding a rhinoceros.[134]
There could be no naval battles in the Colosseum during the time of Caracalla since the underground structures were equipped for staging traditional gladiatorial fights and wild animals hunting games. The complex housed machinery such as winches and lifts and as a result naval games would have been impossible. ScholarRay Laurence noted that "the ancient admiration of those who defy death as gladiators is nicely set out by the film" and that "the culture of gladiators is well presented with a doctor of gladiators".[130]
The real-lifeMacrinus was apraetorian prefect ofBerber descent fromNorth Africa who became Roman emperor in 217 AD after conspiring against Caracalla and having him murdered.[135][136] The choice of Denzel Washington sparked a controversy in Algeria where many people denounced a "blackwashing" of the historical Berber character, arguing that "Macrinus was not of sub-Saharan African origin. This historical revisionism erases North African identities to impose a simplistic and incorrect vision of history”.[137][138]In real life, Macrinus was responsible for civil affairs in Rome and was the first Roman emperor to come from the lower equestrian class and not the highly ranked senatorial class. He was not affiliated with gladiators.[139] Washington claimed that there were definitely Black people in Rome at the time.[140]
The emperors Caracalla and Geta were not twins—Caracalla was about one year older than Geta. The real-lifeLucilla was the daughter ofMarcus Aurelius and the wife ofLucius Verus, co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius, his adoptive brother. One of their sons was named Lucius Verus, as in the film. However, Lucilla had died some 20 years before the reign of Caracalla, being murdered on the orders of Emperor Commodus, and her son Lucius had died in childhood.[134][141]
Caracalla, after becoming sole emperor, names his pet monkey as consul. There is no historical evidence of this happening. This was possibly inspired by the earlier Roman emperorCaligula, who according toSuetonius intended to name his horseIncitatus as consul.[142]
An idea that is presented in bothGladiator films is thebranding of gladiators. This myth comes from an incorrect interpretation of thesacramentum of gladiators, which when translated into English means "I swear to let myself be burned" (bonded, punished, and killed with fire). The way this should be interpreted is more of a reference to combat than an actual mark that would identify you as a gladiator. However, this practice of marking did happen but only toslaves attempting to escape from their masters. Slaves running away from their masters were considered robbers because Romans believed when a slave tried running away from his master, he was "stealing himself" from his owner, so they would mark him so people would know he is a slave if he tried to run away again.[143]
There is no historical record of a Roman general named Acacius.[134] The Roman co-emperors Caracalla and Geta were of mixedArab,Italic,Libyan andPunic descent, but the actors who played them are not.[144][145]
In September 2024, Scott revealed that he was developing a script for a third film, and that the realization depends on the reception for the second installment. TitledGladiator III, the plot was stated to follow the continuing adventures of Lucius Verus. Likening the ending ofGladiator II toThe Godfather Part II (1974), the filmmaker stated that the next movie would explore the character's realization that he is now tasked with a continuing reputation that he does not want.[173][174] Scott later stated that the movie is in early stages of development and intended to be the next project he works on,[175] though the following month he stated toThe New York Times his next projects afterGladiator II will be aBee Gees biopic, set to shoot in September 2025, and an adaptation of thescience fiction novelThe Dog Stars, set to shoot in Italy in April 2025.[17][176] In August 2025, Scott revealed that the film is in progress.[177]
On March 18, 2025, the behind-the-scenes bookGladiator II: The Art and Making of the Ridley Scott Film was published byAbrams Books, written byJohn Walsh and containing new interviews, photos and other materials from the film. This large format 224 coffee table art book was licensed by the film's rights holderParamount Pictures.[178]
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Quotations related toGladiator II at Wikiquote
