Gladiator fans have had to wait 24 long years to find out what happened after the death of Maximus Decimus Meridius at the end of Sir Ridley Scott’s Roman era masterpiece in 2000. That wait is almost over, though, with Gladiator 2 set for release in November this year.
The big question is whether the new offering will live up to the immense hype. With the original winning five Academy Awards and grossing over $503 million, it will be a tough ask for it to match its predecessor.
From Slots to Series – Influence of Gladiator is Strong in the Mainstream
There’s no doubt that Gladiator is up there with the most influential movies ever made, which is why Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures decided to go ahead with the sequel. The impact of the original is still visible in the mainstream, with the online casino market one of the top places to find inspired games.
There are many slots online with jackpots that use a Gladiator theme to tap into the huge audience that enjoyed Scott’s epic. These include Gladia Toro, Gladiator Jackpot, and Gladiator: Road to Rome. The games include many of the tropes from the picture and have helped to keep the legacy of Gladiator alive more than 20 years after it was released.
Gladiator also inspired many historical films and television series in its wake, including Troy and 300. It may have also helped boost series like Vikings and The Last Kingdom, as fans of the movie could have been in search of more epic historical content. With all this influence still apparent, there’s a good chance that Gladiator 2 will be able to use this as a springboard. Indeed, it has a chance of being more commercially successful than its predecessor.
Gladiator 2 Has a Lot Working in Its Favor
Aside from the readymade audience eager to see a continuation of the legendary story, Gladiator 2 has a lot of other factors that could make it a success. The best news for fans of the original is that Scott is back in the director’s seat, meaning that he will have had a lot of creative control over the project. The iconic director won’t want to taint his own legacy, so he will have worked hard on making this new picture perfect.
Unfortunately, Russell Crowe won’t return for the new installment, as it will act as a sequel to Gladiator. However, the cast of the new title is arguably stronger than it was in the original. Paul Mescal will take on the lead role as Lucius Verus, who has been living in exile for 15 years. He’ll be accompanied by Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, adding some serious star power to the bill. On top of that, a few stars will return from the first movie, including Connie Nielsen and Sir Derek Jacobi.
Gladiator 2 has the potential to live up to the hype of its predecessor and more. It’s clear that this will be a brand new story, and it could end up creating a legacy of its own in mainstream culture.