Gladiator II is now on Netflix: release date, cast and how it hit No. 1

If you were waiting to catch Ridley Scott’s Roman sequel at home, the wait is over. Gladiator II arrived on Netflix on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, and Netflix paired it with the 2000 original, so both films are available to stream together.

The 2024 sequel wasted no time. Polygon reported that within a couple of days on the service it was leading Netflix’s U.S. movie chart, knocking Ben Affleck’s thriller Animals out of the No. 1 spot.

When did Gladiator II come to Netflix?

Netflix’s Tudum site confirmed on Oct. 22 that Gladiator and Gladiator II are “now streaming,” and Polygon put the arrival date at Oct. 21. Collider had flagged the date a day earlier. The film previously streamed on Paramount+, Polygon noted.

The sequel originally opened in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, and runs 148 minutes, Collider noted.

What is Gladiator II about?

The story picks up about two decades after the first film. According to the official synopsis quoted by Polygon, Lucius (Paul Mescal), who as a boy watched the hero Maximus die, is forced into the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors ruling Rome. Netflix’s Tudum summary adds that Lucius sets out to take revenge on General Marcus Acacius, who led the raid that killed his wife.

Expect spectacle: Tudum notes that Lucius faces rhinos, baboons and even sharks, and that Scott built a quarter-mile-long Colosseum replica to stage a naval battle.

Who is in the cast?

• Paul Mescal as Lucius
• Pedro Pascal as General Marcus Acacius
• Denzel Washington as Macrinus
• Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, returning from the first film
• Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta
• Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla

Scott directed from a screenplay by David Scarpa, with a story by Peter Craig and Scarpa, Polygon reported.

How did Gladiator II do the first time around?

It earned $462 million worldwide, making it the 12th-highest-grossing film of 2024, according to Polygon. That is close to the original’s global gross of more than $460 million. The 2000 film also won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe.

Reviews of the sequel were more mixed. Polygon’s critic called it “a far better action movie than Gladiator” but said the cast never comes together in “a single coherent tale.”

Crowe himself has been critical. Collider reported that he described the sequel last year as an example of people not understanding what made the first film special: “It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”

Will there be a Gladiator III?

Possibly, but there’s no firm plan in public. Polygon reported that Scott told The Guardian last year that “Gladiator is in process right now,” and little has been said since. Scott’s newest film, The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, is out this month, and Polygon reported that he is next adapting Treasure Island.

FAQ