The fight is on!: Everything we know about the Gladiator 2 release, strike delay, and more

Updated Nov. 9, 2023 – The 2000 historical drama film Gladiator starring Russell Crowe is one of the most well-known and popular movies. That’s why we’re so excited that a sequel, Gladiator 2, is in the works!

The epic grossed over $460.5 million worldwide in the box office. The production won five Oscars, one for Best Picture and another for Best Actor (Crowe). This also helped the actor establish himself as being a lead man in films for the rest of his career.

Crowe plays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius. He’s betrayed by Commodus, the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, when Commodus murders his father and takes the throne. Maximus finds himself in slavery and becomes a gladiator. And his popularity in the arena threatens the new ruler on the throne. Here’s what we know about the sequel so far!

Gladiator 2 release date (Where to watch)

So far, Gladiator 2 has a Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 release date. While that’s definitely still a way’s off, it’s possible the date could potentially be pushed depending on how delayed production is due to the the actors strike (more on that below).

The film is a Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures production, which means eventually it should stream on both Paramount+ and Peacock at some point after its run in theaters. The first streamer costs $5.99/month with ads or $11.99/month without ads. Peacock is the same price.

We’ve actually known that the original film got a sequel confirmed since 2018. But it’s taken a while to write the script and fine tune everything. Filmmaker Ridley Scott, who also took charge behind the scenes in the first production, returns as director. And that’s definitely good news in my books!

If you’re looking to relive the epic-ness of the 2000 movie, then you’ll need to turn to Prime Video which is where the film is currently streaming. You can get Amazon Prime for $14.99/month, which will also give you access to Prime Video. However if you only want the streaming platform, then it costs $8.99/month.

Gladiator 2 strike delay updates

With the actors strike going into effect on July 14, 2023 at midnight PT, that means filming on the movie completely shut down at that time. Even though it was filming overseas in Morocco, the actors are still under the umbrella of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG AFTRA). And that’s why production had to stop.

While on strike, there’s rules actors have to follow as being members of the guild. Some of those are not filming any current projects, as well as no promoting upcoming work. That’s probably one of the main reasons why the Dune Part 2 release date was pushed to 2024, instead of coming to theaters in November 2023 as originally planned.

Thankfully though, the writers strike has been resolved. And now, the actors strike is over too following a tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)! On Nov. 9, 2023, the strike ended and that means actors can get back to work. SAG-AFTRA members still need to vote on the new three-year agreement. But, they can start filming once again. According to Deadline, production on Gladiator 2 is set to happen “this week or in [the] very near future.” And that’s the happy news we’ve been waiting to hear!

Before the strikes went into effect, 90 minutes of the movie was done shooting, per Deadline. And so during the strikes, director Ridley Scott has been editing them to keep things rolling. And apparently one of those scenes will feature baboons. Hm. Interesting!

Cast: Is Russell Crowe going to be in Gladiator 2?

We don’t have an official synopsis yet. According to Deadline, the story takes place years after the 2000 film ended and will focus on the character of Lucius, the son of Lucilla. Being the nephew of Commodus, he is now a grown man.

The star of the original film isn’t expected to be in the sequel since Maximus died at the end of the first movie. Crowe confirmed his lack of involvement in the follow-up film when taking questions from journalists at Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Variety reports the actor said the following:

"They should be f–ing paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in. It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life. I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. I am dead! But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular."

Paul Mescal will take on the lead role of Lucius, as reported by Deadline. The news outlet shares that Connie Nielsen is reprising her role as Lucilla. A potential exciting addition is Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, who is in talks to play Emperor Caracalla, per Deadline. The news outlet also shares that The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal will be joining the movie. His role has not been announced yet.

Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington have already been tapped for the production. Director of the original movie, Ridley Scott, is also returning to take on the same role in the sequel. We provided the cast list so far below:

• Paul Mescal as Lucius
• Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
• Jospeh Quinn as Emperor Caracalla (not confirmed yet)
• Pedro Pascal
• Barry Keoghan
• Denzel Washington

Be sure to stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you news and updates about Gladiator 2 and the actors strike as they come.