Gladiator II -- Ridley Scott's action epic starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal -- is coming soon to digital streaming.
Gladiator II, of course, is the sequel to the 2000 Best Picture Oscar winner Gladiator, which also earned Russell Crowe a Best Actor Oscar for playing Maximus. The film was released in North American theaters on Nov. 22.
The official summary for Gladiator II reads, "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."
Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucius' mother, Lucilla, from the original Gladiator. Washington plays Macrinus, a former slave and Lucius' gladiator mentor who has his eye on controlling Rome and Pascal plays Lucilla's husband, Roman General Marcus Acacius. Crowe also appears in the film in flashback scenes.
According to When to Stream, Gladiator II is expected to debut on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, Dec. 24. While When to Stream is typically accurate with its PVOD reports, the streaming tracker noted that Gladiator II studio Paramount Pictures has not announced or confirmed the digital release date and it is subject to change.
Per The Numbers, Gladiator II has earned $138.1 million domestically and $235.7 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $373.8 million to date.
Variety reports that Gladiator II's production budget was $250 million-plus before prints and advertising costs.
Rotten Tomatoes critics collectively gave Gladiator II a 71% "fresh" rating based on 357 reviews.
The RT Critics Consensus reads, "Echoing its predecessor while upping the bloodsport and camp, Gladiator II is an action extravaganza that derives much of its strength and honor from Denzel Washington's scene-stealing performance."
Audiences responded more positively to Gladiator II on RT, giving the film an 81% "fresh" rating on the site's Popcornmeter based on 5,000-plus verified user ratings.