Gladiator 2 is set to be one of the most expensive movies of all time, and rumors are swirling that director Ridley Scott is not doing anything to help.
The Hollywood Reporter posted a recent story discussing recent insider scoops, and one of the major ones turned out to be that Scott’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning masterpiece is becoming a money pit.
Per reports, the film was initially budgeted at $165 million, but from some sources, that figure has ballooned to nearly $310 million. That doesn’t include what it will cost to advertise this blockbuster or push it for an eventual awards campaign.
As to how the money started to pile up like this, THR notes that the costs of strike-related work stoppages reportedly hit around $10 million as the production was shut down for five months. One source tells THR, “It’s a runaway. It’s not being managed.”
Sadly, stoppages weren’t the only issue. Back in June 2023, a stunt misfire sent four crewmembers to the hospital with what was described as “non-life-threatening burn injuries.” Then, in July of that year, PETA sent an open letter to the director addressing reports about “horses and monkeys being abused on the set.”
There is some pushback, though, with a Paramount insider telling the outlet that “the net cost of the 49-day shoot was under $250 million.” It was also noted from a source that the Humane Society was on-site during filming, and none of the alleged abuse happened. Only time will tell, but Scott’s Gladiator 2 is shaping up to be an epic in front and behind the scenes.
Paul Mescal leads and co-stars with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Lucas, and Derek Jacobi.
Gladiator 2 sees Mescal play a grown-up version of the child Lucius, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), from the first film. Lucius has been “out in the wilderness” for the past fifteen years and is out of touch with his mother, who doesn’t know where he is. The film will take place around the early 3rd century AD when brothers Caracalla (Quinn) and Geta (Hechinger) jointly ruled as Emperors. Caracalla was a bloodthirsty tyrant who ordered his younger brother’s murder shortly just months after their father died.
Gladiator 2 is set for release on November 22nd.
