Gladiator II’s Digital release date is fast approaching, andScreenRantis excited to present an exclusive clip of two stars breaking down one of the movie’s crucial scenes. A direct continuation of Ridley Scott’s 2000 box-office hit (and Best Picture winner)Gladiator, the sequel follows the son of Maximus. Lucius Verus Aurelius, who returns to Rome as a captive of war and is forced to fight in the Coliseum.Paul Mescal leads the cast ofGladiator II, channeling Russell Crowe’s veritas, and he is joined by Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger as new characters in the familiar world of Ancient Rome.
ThoughGladiator IItakes placeonly a few short decades after the original, Connie Nielsen is the only actor to reprise a major role from the original. She plays Lucius’s mother Lucilla, whose romance with Maximus was a major plot point inGladiator, though she is now married to Pascal’s Marcus Acacius. Incidentally, Acacius is the man responsible for the ravaging of Lucius' adoptive homeland and for the death of his wife in battle, which makes their relationship in the movie rather contentious.
Gladiator 2 VOD Release Date Revealed (& It’s Surprisingly Soon)
Gladiator 2’s VOD date is already set, and Ridley Scott’s long-awaited historical epic sequel is coming to audiences' home screens surprisingly soon.
Incidentally,the relationship between Lucius and Acaciusis precisely whatScreenRant’s exclusive clip is about, as Mescal and Pascal detail the “violent dance” they undergo in the arena. Watch the clip here and read more about theGladiator IIhome release below.
Paul Mescal & Pedro Pascal Break Down The Turning Point In Their Gladiator II Dynamic
“I’d like to emphasize the age difference here.”
ScreenRant’s exclusive clip centers on the climactic showdown between Lucius and Acacius when they’re finally made to face off in the arena. The build-up to this moment is crucial, as Lucius spends the majority of the movie up to that point plotting his revenge against Acacius due to the events ofBattle of Numidia, in which Acacius' army of Roman soldiers defeated the Numinidians, Lucius' wife was killed, and Lucius himself was taken prisoner.
By the time the one-on-one battle rolls around, however, it has become clear to both the audience and Lucius that Acacius is not bloodthirsty like his leaders, Emperors Geta and Caracalla. He and Lucilla are actually plotting to defy said emperors, which is how he ends up in the position of fighting Lucius in the arena. The swirl of emotions, tying Acacius and Lucius together in their struggle against the corruption of Rome (not to mention their shared connections with Lucilla and Maximus), makes for a delicious fight scene.
In the exclusive clip, Mescal and Pascal explain why they personally find the moment so fascinating. They also discuss the epic scale of the scene, and Pascal jokes that the age difference between them is the reason why his character doesn’t necessarily get the better of the movie’s hero. This BTS moment is available on the Digital release, which arrives on December 24, as well as on the 4K Ultra HD and other physical versions that will be on sale in 2025.
Check out the bonus content available on the home release here:
More About Gladiator II (2024)
Coming soon to home release in more ways than one.
From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people. Gladiator II is rated R for strong bloody violence.
Gladiator IIarrives on Digital on December 24 and will be available on Digital as part of a two-movie collection with the original Gladiator. It will also arrive on 4K Ultra HD, in a 4K Ultra HD SteelBook®, and on DVD on July 13, 2025.
Gladiator II
Cast
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.
