With a reported budget of well over $250 million, Gladiator 2’s domestic opening weekend of only $55 million was viewed by many as one of the biggest letdowns of the year. However, the film may not yet be the major loss that its U.S. total would lead you to believe thanks to its performance in international markets. Now closing in on two full weeks in theaters thanks to its early premiere in foreign markets, Gladiator 2 has grossed more than $165 million internationally and is less than $1 million from becoming one of the top 20 highest-grossing movies of the year. The legacy sequel is poised to pass The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, the Chinese film that earned $165 million internationally but did not premiere domestically, when the next batch of numbers come in.

Gladiator 2’s $220 million worldwide total has already lifted the movie above the major flop Joker: Folie à Deux, which whimpered out of theaters and onto digital platforms after barely grossing $200 million. The Ridley Scott-directed action epic is currently $34 million behind The Garfield Movie, the Chris Pratt-led animated film that earned $254 million globally, with the lion’s share also coming from international earnings ($162 million). While Gladiator 2 is soon to enter the top 20 highest-grossing movies of the year worldwide, the film is just inside the top 30 at the domestic box office in 2024, with its $55 million opening weekend total falling behind the collectible hauls of movies like Transformers One and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, both of which feature Chris Hemsworth in a leading role.

How Does ‘Gladiator 2’ Compare to the Original?

Gladiator 2 debuted with a 71% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes paired with an audience rating of 84%. Both of these rankings fall short of the original Gladiator, which stands at an 80% rating from critics and an 87% score from general audiences on the aggregate site. Connie Nielsen is the only one to reprise her role from the first Gladiator film, with Paul Mescal filling in Russell Crowe’s shoes in the lead role of Lucius. Also starring alongside Mescal and Nielsen in Gladiator 2 are Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Fred Hechinger, and Peter Mensah.

Gladiator 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere. Stay tuned to Collider for more box office updates on the film and find tickets below for a showtime near you.

Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.Cast Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz Runtime 148 minutes Writers David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Expand

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