Everything We Know About ‘Gladiator II’ So Far

“Gladiator 2” remains one of the most anticipated films of 2024, and as we inch closer and closer to release we’re rounding up what we know.

The film takes place 20 years after the first film and follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) on a journey very similar to Maximus’ (Russell Crowe) in the original, as he tears his way through the people who’ve wronged him in the gladiatorial arena.

“Gladiator II” hits theaters on November 22, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Here’s everything we know so far.

When does “Gladiator II” come out?

“Gladiator 2” – the long-anticipated sequel to the Russell Crowe original – arrives in theaters on Friday, November 22. It hits a week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Who stars in “Gladiator II”?

“Gladiator 2” boasts a stacked cast. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, and Denzel Washington as Macrinus lead the roster.

They’re joined by Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, Fred Hechinger, Rory McCann, May Calamawy, Peter Mensah and Matt Lucas. Ridley Scott returns to direct the film.

What will the story be about?

The sequel follows Lucius (Mescal) – Commodus’ (Joaquin Phoenix) nephew – after he witnesses the death of Maximus (Crowe) at the end of the first film. He’s shipped away to be hidden in Africa. Rome comes knocking, however, and Lucius is now a man grown and returned to the gladiator arena by General Marcus Acacius (Pascal). It’s in the arena he meets an arms dealer named Macrinus (Washington) who decides to help Lucius exact revenge on the enemies of his past.

What happened in “Gladiator”?

The original film—which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2000—has a very similar plot to the sequel. It finds Maximus (Crowe), a Roman general who was sold into slavery, forced to fight in the arena by Emperor Commodus (Phoenix).

How long does “Gladiator II” take place after the original?

Much like the gap between films, “Gladiator 2” takes place 20+ years after the events Maximus went through in “Gladiator.”

Is there a trailer?

Yes! The trailer for the film finally dropped in July 2024.

Could Russell Crowe or Joaquin Phoenix return?

Anything is possible through the magic of a flashback and de-aging CGI but it’s highly unlikely that either Crowe or Phoenix returns for the sequel because SPOILER ALERT they both die at the end of the first film from wounds suffered during their final battle.

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