

With Gladiator II currently streaming on many digital platforms, it’s clear that the film’s theatrical run is nearing its end. The blockbuster sequel to the 2000 original has made $172 million domestically and $288 million internationally, for a total global box office gross of $460 million. This total puts Gladiator II close to the gross of the original Gladiator, which with its original 2000 release and subsequent re-releases, made a total of $465 million. This total also makes Gladiator II the third highest-grossing film of director Ridley Scott’s career, right behind the original Gladiator and 2015’s The Martian, which made $631 million worldwide.
When compared to Ridley Scott’s other films, this total is impressive. It is especially impressive considering its R-rating and tough competition, coming out the same weekend as Wicked and only a week before Disney’s Moana 2. However, Gladiator II’s global box office pales compared to those two films, with Wicked currently standing at a global box office total of $700 million and Moana 2 already cracking $1 billion worldwide.
In addition to this total box office gross, Gladiator II’s budget must also be considered when measuring its success. The film had an estimated production budget of $250 million. With outside costs such as marketing and distribution in consideration, the film could be considered a minor box office disappointment. This is because, according to Collider, “a film of this size needs to gross twice its production cost to break even.”