Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” had its first screening at the Paramount Studios lot in Los Angeles, where critics, media and industry got a first look at the film.
As with all early social media reaction, I wouldn’t assess these as anything other than “first-take hype.” With that said, “Gladiator II” is off to a good start, and if reactions continue to be like this then it’ll most likely be a major Oscar contender, in numerous categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor.
Speaking exclusively to Empire, Scott told the magazine that “Gladiator II” is his greatest achievement. Yes, better than “Blade Runner,” and “Alien.”: “It’s the best [film] I’ve ever made.”
For the last few months, strong word of mouth had been building for “Gladiator II.” Deadline was told that it’s “fantastic” and “Oscar-worthy.” It also test screened very well in April, and buzz has spread throughout the industry about Scott potentially having a major awards player here.
A few months ago, a THR report confirmed that Scott’s sequel had its budget “balloon” from $165 million to a whopping $310 million. The piece went on to describe Paramount execs as feeling “terribly vexed” by the whole ordeal but felt relieved once they saw footage of the film which “blew them away. Current tracking has “Gladiator II” opening in the $50-$60M range, although that could easily go up if glowing reviews are to greet it.
“Gladiator II” is set to arrive in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, with Paul Mescal as the lead and Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen in supporting roles.