As Gladiator II prepares to leave theaters, it has officially achieved one last major box office milestone. Having enjoyed a run that lasted for two months, the movie was released digitally on December 24, 2024, and is now available for purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, and other rental websites. It was still running in theaters even after its digital release, but that run is now expected to end. With Gladiator II‘s expansive cast ready to end its theatrical run, its box office totals are nearly finalized.
According to Box Office Mojo, the epic Roman adventure has finally crossed $450 million at the global box office. That comes from a total of $170 million domestically and $282 million internationally. It will likely end its run with approximately $452 million, as it begins to bow out of theaters across the world.
What Gladiator II’s New Milestone Means
It Still Won’t Reach Profitability
Crossing $450 million is a massive milestone for any movie, but it is not enough to replicate the original’s success. Gladiator (2000) made $465.5 million at the box office on a budget of approximately $100 million. When adjusted for inflation, the original earned $870 million. That surpasses Gladiator II, which could not cross the $500 million threshold. It did face strong competition from Wicked, Moana 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Mufasa, but its inability to match the original’s raw numbers is disappointing.
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The sequel is also unlikely to be profitable since it reportedly had a $250 million budget. An easy way to calculate profit for Hollywood movies is to multiply the budget by 2.5 to account for the marketing costs and the cuts each theater takes from ticket sales. By that metric, it would have needed $625 million to achieve the break-even point. With its run slowly ending, it is not going to cross that threshold, especially as fresher releases roll out in theaters.
Our Take On Gladiator II’s Box Office Run
The Market Is Different Now
Although Gladiator II disappointed at the box office, it still has the potential to achieve a profit. In the new reality of Hollywood, studios also need to account for a movie’s success on streaming platforms. The movie is already achieving success on video-on-demand services, having taken the first place slot on iTunes and Fandango at Home. Gladiator II has earned positive reviews, securing a 71% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 82% on the Popcornmeter. Those attributes should benefit the movie once it finds a home on a streaming platform, and the $450 million threshold is now an excellent headstart.
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Source: Box Office Mojo
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.
- Release Date
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November 22, 2024
- Runtime
-
148 minutes
- Main Genre
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Adventure
- Cast
-
Paul Mescal
, Pedro Pascal
, Denzel Washington
, Connie Nielsen
, Joseph Quinn
, Fred Hechinger
, Derek Jacobi
, Lior Raz
, Peter Mensah
, Matt Lucas
, Alexander Karim
, Tim McInnerny
, Lee Charles
, Chidi Ajufo
, Alfie Tempest
, Riana Duce
, Chi Lewis Parry - Character(s)
-
Lucius Verus
, Marcus Acacius
, Macrinus
, Lucilla
, Emperor Geta
, Emperor Caracalla
, Gracchus
, Viggo
, Jugurtha
, Master of Ceremonies
, Ravi
, Senator Thraex
, Slovak
, Gladiator
, Young Lucius
, Hyacinthia
, Phoebus - Writers
-
David Scarpa
, Peter Craig
, David Franzoni - Studio(s)
-
Paramount Pictures
, Universal Pictures
, Scott Free Productions
, Red Wagon Entertainment - Distributor(s)
-
Paramount Pictures