Gladiator IIhas passed a major movie to enter an elite box office list. Released on November 22, the same day as the major musical adaptationWicked,the films became something of a Barbenheimer repeat, with their joint release referred to colloquially as “Glicked.“Wickedcame out on top by a landslide in this box office battle, opening to $112 million againstGladiator II’s $55 million. Still,Gladiator IIhas maintained decent reviewsand done fairly well at the box office over the course of the four weekends that it has been in theaters.
As perThe NumbersandBox Office Mojo,Gladiator IIhas now crossed into an important box office list as it is now one of the top 50 highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time. In order to make this record,Gladiator IIhad to pass the 2019 Quentin Tarantino filmOnce Upon a Time…in Hollywood. It did so, making it to a $380 million gross worldwide. Now, the movie sits at No. 50 on this list, ranked just belowFifty Shades Darker.
What This Means For Gladiator II
Gladiator II Has Made Other Milestones
This R-rated movie record is not the only achievementGladiator IIhas had at the box office since its release. The movie has also become the top-grossing film inDenzel Washington’s career. This is impressive given Washington has been acting for decades, and his work has includedThe Equalizerfranchise and more.Gladiator IIalso has the honor of being one of the top 5 highest-grossing films in director Ridley Scott’s career, taking the No. 4 slot. The film will likely rise to at least No. 3 on this list, as it only trailsPrometheusby about $22 million.
Gladiator II’s recent record is impressive for the film itself, but it also brings attention to how well R-rated movies have done at the box office this year.Deadpool & WolverinepassedOppenheimerandJokerto become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, bringing in over $1.3 billion. 2024 also saw another release enter the top 50, with this summer’sBad Boys: Ride or Die.Alien Romulusalso made it into the top 100 (at No. 62). These achievements collectively go to show how well R-rated movies have been performing recently.
Our Take On Gladiator II’s Record
The Film Still Has A Long Way To Go To Profit
While there is a positive outlook that can be gleaned from thisGladiator IIrecord, I think it would be short-sighted to only look atScott’s sequel filmas a success. While the movie has pulled big numbers,Gladiator II’s budget has been estimated to be at least $250 million, with some sources guessing it cost upwards of $300 million. This means that the film needs anywhere between $625 million to $750 million to break even. ThoughGladiator II’s box office momentum is impressive, it still has a long way to go to be a true success.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
