Summary
Ridley Scott delivered a huge hit withGladiatorin 2000, and ifGladiator IIis going to be as successful, it has to make even more money at the box office. Every time Scott discussed the possibility of continuing the story afterGladiator’s ending, the lofty expectations that come with following up the original became more clear. Whether it’s repeating its very profitable box office run, matching the awards success, or even just delivering a similar quality with the action and story,Gladiator 2has an uphill battle to belong in the same breath as its predecessor.
One way thatGladiator 2could challenge the original is by outperforming it at the box office. The first movie starringRussell Crowe’s Maximusmade $460 million at the box office during its initial release. That was enough to become thehighest-grossing movie of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe’s careersto that point. It remains Scott’s record high even asGladiator 2approaches. Even if the sequel manages to surpass the original’s total, it will take making significantly more forGladiator 2to match the first movie’s performance and profitability.
Gladiator 2 Could Realistically Break 10 Box Office Records, Unless Something Goes Wrong
Gladiator 2 is gearing up to be one of the biggest successes of 2024, meaning that it can realistically beat these 10 box office records.
The Original Gladiator Made 4x Its Budget At The Box Office
It Was The Second-Highest Grossing Movie In 2000
The final total ofGladiator’s box office is certainly impressive, especially in 2000, where it finished as the second highest grossing movie of the year. But, the movie can be deemed a huge hit because the $460 million total was substantially more than what it cost for Scott to make it.Gladiator’s budget is reportedly $103 million (viaBox Office Mojo). That meansthe movie made 4.4 times its budgetat the box office.
It is commonly said that a movie needs to double its budget at the box office to break even, with anything that is two and a half or three times the cost making it profitable.Gladiatorcleared that bar with ease, as it doubled up on what it needed to break even. Scott and Crowe found a major hit as a result and managed to turn the movie into one of the biggest hits of 2000. This was done as it made $187 million domestically and another $277 million internationally.
Gladiator 2’s Budget Means It Has Much Bigger Box Office Expectations
The Sequel’s Budget Is More Than Double The Original’s
The problem forGladiator 2is that matching or barely beating the original’s box office performance is not enough for the film to be viewed as an equally sized hit. This stems fromGladiator 2’s budget soaringwell above the first movie. The sequel was supposed to cost $165 million when Paramount agreed to make it, which would still give the sequel higher box office expectations than before. However, THR reported thatGladiator 2’s budget was as high as $310 million, though it also reported Paramount sources saying it was under $250 million.
IfGladiator 2is to be as successful as the original, at least in raw box office terms, then it has to recoup the same amount of money. That would require matching the first film making four times the budget. Even if we look at the lowest possible end of those estimates, and the budget is a little over $200 million, then it would still need to be comfortably upwards of $800 million to match the first movie’s success.
If the budget were to be closer to that $250m figure, thenGladiator 2needs to make almost (if not exactly or even over) $1 billion. If the $310 million budget were accurate, thenthe target total would be $1.3 billion. So, depending on what the exact budget figure is, the movie is looking at $800m to $1.3bn to repeat the first movie making over four times its budget at the box office.
Gladiator 2’s New Ridley Scott Record Is Concerning After $200 Million Box Office Bomb
Gladiator 2’s updated budget places it among the most expensive movies ever made, raising concerns about how the anticipated sequel can be profitable.
Gladiator 2 Is Very Unlikely To Make $1 Billion But Can Still Be A Success
The Sequel Can Be Profitable With Less
Box office tracking data is not yet available forGladiator 2, but there is little belief the sequel will hit that $800m range, never mind $1 billion. It has become much rarer for movies to hit the latter milestone in recent years. While the original movie is highly regarded andGladiator 2’s castis filled with known names and rising stars, the sequel would have to make more than double the first movie if it’s to break $1bn. The likelihood of that happening is low, as the movie is more likely to have a box office total closer to the original’s.
The sequel could break even after making around $500M-$600M worldwide
The good news forGladiator 2is that it can still be a success without getting to that $800m-$1bn range. With the reported budget figures, the sequel could break even after making around $500M-$600M worldwide. That is a much more achievable number forGladiator 2’s box office. There is even a chance that it exceeds those figures and turns a profit for Paramount by crossing into the $700 million range worldwide.
Even if it doesn’t, the movie could end up being a success. While the usual rule of thumb is still for a movie to make 2x its budget to break even, and around 2.5x for profit, there are other considerations. Movies go to VoD earlier now, and there are likely streaming deals as well, which could factor in to how Paramount determines the movie’s performance.Gladiator IImight not replicate the original’s performance in every way, but it should do well enough that all parties involved will still be pleased if it can be classified as a box office success.
