Gladiator 2 set to bypass global box office milestone a week after its release

Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s latest film featuring Malta as ancient Rome set to reach high milestone at the box office within a week of its release. 

The film has grossed a total of $314,007,811 (approximately €293 million) worldwide, with 47% of the earnings coming from domestic theaters and the remaining from international markets, as reported by Box Office.

The movie debuted internationally a week before its U.S. release and has already recouped its reported budget at the global box office. 

On its fifth day in U.S. theaters, it approached another major milestone, aiming for the $300 million (around €280 million) mark this weekend.

Gladiator II opened to mostly positive reviews and currently holds a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

So far, it has earned $67 million (about €62 million) domestically and $165 million (around €154 million) internationally, totaling $230 million (approximately €213 million) worldwide.

The film was produced on a reported budget of $210 million (about €196 million), although some reports suggest that costs may have exceeded $300 million (around €280 million) due to industry-wide strikes and Scott's filming style.

Scott chose Malta as a primary filming location for its historical architecture and strategic Mediterranean setting, which effectively doubles as ancient Rome. 

Denzel Washington, who stars as Macrinus in the sequel, remarked, “Malta is a character... You can feel the history here; it was the perfect place to shoot.”

The plot follows Hanno on a quest for revenge against the Romans responsible for the deaths of his loved ones. The film features several inventive battle sequences, including one involving ships and sharks.