Gladiator II

Gladiator II
Teaser poster
Directed by	Ridley Scott
Screenplay by	David Scarpa [1]
Story by	Peter Craig David Scarpa
Based on	Characters created by David Franzoni
Produced by	Ridley Scott Michael Pruss Douglas Wick Lucy Fisher Walter F. Parkes Laurie MacDonald David Franzoni
Starring	Paul Mescal Pedro Pascal Connie Nielsen Denzel Washington
Cinematography	John Mathieson
Edited by	Claire Simpson Sam Restivo
Music by	Harry Gregson-Williams
Production companies	Scott Free Productions Red Wagon Entertainment Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15) (United Kingdom) November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) (United States)
Countries	United States United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$250 million[2]

Gladiator II is an upcoming epic historical action film directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott. Serving as a sequel to Gladiator (2000), the film was written by David Scarpa, from a story he wrote with Peter Craig, and stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprise their roles from the first film. It was produced by Scott Free Productions in association with Red Wagon Entertainment and Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation for Paramount Pictures. The story follows Lucius, the former heir to the Roman Empire, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius, during the reign of the co-emperors Caracalla and Geta.

A sequel to Gladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, with David Franzoni and John Logan set to return as screenwriters. Over the next few years, Scott offered occasional updates, including the possible involvement of the original film's lead actor, Russell Crowe, along with plot ideas about the Roman afterlife and different historical time periods. Development was halted when DreamWorks sold the rights to the property to Paramount in 2006. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by Scarpa. The rest of the cast signed on over the next several months. Filming took place between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month hiatus due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.

Gladiator II is scheduled to be released internationally, including the United Kingdom, on November 15, 2024, and later in the United States and Canada on November 22.