Gladiator IIis now a top performer on VOD as its theatrical run winds down. Directed by Ridley Scott and serving as a sequel to 2000’sGladiatorstarring Russell Crowe, the action epic follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he becomes a hero of the Colosseum.Gladiator 2reviewshave been somewhat lukewarm from critics and the film’s worldwide box office total now sits at $435 million after getting off to a decent start in November. The film became available to watch on VOD starting December 24.
IndieWirenow reveals thatGladiator 2is the most popular movie on iTunes for Monday, December 23, and on Fandango at Home for the week of December 23 – 29. Scott’s sequel beats other titles likeThe Order(2024),Venom: The Last Dance(2024), andHeretic(2024). Check out the two VOD charts below:
iTunes (Dec. 23)
Fandango at Home (Dec. 23 – 29)
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The Return
iTunes ranks titles by number of transactions, while Fandango at Home ranks titles by revenue.
What Gladiator 2’s VOD Success Means For The Movie
The Film’s Box Office Performance Explained
Made on an estimated budget of about $250 million,Gladiator 2may have been looking at a break-even point of $500 million or more. At this stage in the film’s lifecycle, it’s unlikely to reach this number, and could fairly be dubbed a disappointment. ThoughScott has been optimistic about makingGladiator 3, saying at a press conference in November (viaMama’s Geeky) that “there’s certainly going to be” a third installment,the financial performance of the sequel thus far doesn’t suggest that this will be the case.
If You Thought Gladiator 2 Was Historically Inaccurate, Just Wait Until Gladiator 3
Gladiator 3 is unlikely to be any more historically accurate than Gladiator 2, with Lucius set up to fight a more political battle for Rome’s future.
Gladiator 2’s VOD performance is a promising sign, butScott’s movie dominating the charts also isn’t surprising given it only just launched on home viewing platforms. The key for the sequel will be continued VOD performance in the weeks to come, especially as people go back to work following the holidays.
Our Take On Gladiator 2’s VOD Success
Ridley Scott’s Sequel Can’t Match The Highs Of The Original
Gladiator 2isn’t a bad movie by any means, but it certainly isn’t as good as the original, and its reception thus far reflects this. The original grossed $465 million back in 2000, which, adjusted for inflation, would be roughly $850 million today. Clearly, the sequel won’t be grossing anywhere close to this when its theatrical run ends, and it always seemed like a long shot that it would.
Though Mescal does an admirable job as Lucius,it seems unlikely that a third movie will get the green light to continue the storyafter theGladiator 2ending. Even thoughGladiator 2may be a top-performing movie on digital platforms, Scott’s sequel still has a ways to go to become even a modest 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.
