As the movie gears up for the awards season, Gladiator II cast is led by Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus Aurelius, the son of Russell Crowe's original character Maximus, and also includes Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen (reprising her original role as Lucius's mother Lucilla), Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger.
Per Deadline, the Gladiator II VOD release date has been set for December 24, officially putting the sequel on home screens just over a month after it theaters in the US. The publication reports that the 4K Ultra-HD digital release of the movie will come with "over 100 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews" with the cast and crew. The VOD announcement also comes as the movie is entering its fifth weekend in theaters and is projected to make $4.2 million in domestic theaters, bringing its cumulative domestic total past $150 million.
What This Means For Gladiator II
Its VOD Release Is Very Well Timed
The Gladiator II release coming to VOD so soon could benefit the movie in a variety of ways. The first way is bringing it to at-home screens just in time for Christmas. Many families gather to watch movies together during the holiday, which is why four new wide releases are coming to theaters on Christmas Day. The Ridley Scott movie has the opportunity to snag a wide VOD audience at the exact point that its theatrical release, which began before Thanksgiving, will be beginning to wane in the wake of so much competition.
Christmas Day sees the simultaneous debut of A Complete Unknown, Babygirl, The Fire Inside, and Nosferatu.
Gladiator II maintaining its presence in the general conversation could also help it gain traction as awards season begins to heat up in early 2025. It has already been nominated for two awards at the 2025 Golden Globes (ing Actor for Denzel Washington as well as Cinematic and Box Office Achievement) and four Critics Choice Awards (ing Actor for Denzel Washington, Costumes Design, Visual Effects, and Production Design). It has also been shortlisted for the Original Score, Sound, and Visual Effects Oscars, and maintaining a strong presence could help tip it over the edge to earn nominations in those categories.
Our Take On The Gladiator II VOD Date
It's Beating The Other Thanksgiving Blockbusters
Another aspect of this VOD date that could prove to be important for Gladiator II is the fact that this announcement has come sooner than those of either of the other two major Thanksgiving week releases, Wicked and Moana 2. While the Ridley Scott movie struggled to overtake either of those titles at the box office, neither has had their official VOD release dates announced yet, meaning that it will likely beat them to at-home screens. This could allow it a significant runway to become a success in the digital marketplace before either competitor drops on the same platforms.
Source: Deadline
Gladiator II
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Runtime
- 148 minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
Cast
Lucius Verus
Marcus Acacius
WHERE TO WATCH
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott's award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
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