Gladiator 2 has become a hit on streaming following its $460 million run at the worldwide box office. Directed by Ridley Scott, the long-awaited sequel sees Paul Mescal stepping into the role of Lucius, Maximus’ son, who fights to survive as a slave in the Colosseum. Gladiator 2 reviews have been generally positive from critics and audiences alike, but the film’s total box office haul means the sequel, which also stars Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, hasn’t been a total win financially.

Now, new data from Reelgood reveals that Gladiator 2 has made quite a splash on streaming. For the week of January 16 – 22, Scott’s sequel ranks as the seventh most popular тιтle on streaming overall in the U.S. Gladiator 2, which is available on Paramount+, comes ahead of Mulholland Drive (2001), Back in Action (2025), and Twin Peaks, but falls short of other тιтles like The Substance (2024), Silo, and Landman. When looking only at movies, the sequel fares even better, coming in at third place. Check out the top 10 movies and TV shows list below:

What Gladiator 2’s Streaming Success Means For The Movie

Is Ridley Scott’s Sequel A Success?

With a reported budget of around $250 million, Gladiator 2 could be looking at a break even point of $500 million, but this total could be as high as $625 million. While grossing $460 million would be an impressive feat for a movie that carried a lower price tag, the cost of Scott’s sequel means it can now be considered a financial disappointment. Even with the impressive Gladiator 2 cast and the epic action set pieces, just not enough people went to the theater to see it.

Now, VOD performance could certainly help in this regard. Gladiator 2 has been available on digital since December 24, and it’s entirely possible that it’s been a big performer. Unfortunately, specific numbers aren’t generally released for VOD performance, so it’s not clear how much digital sales and rentals will help the film with achieving profitability. Streaming success is also challenging to quantify, but if it brings in a healthy number of new subscribers to Paramount+, this could also help the movie to be considered at least a modest success.

Our Take On Gladiator 2’s Streaming Success

Will Gladiator 3 Happen?

Though the last few months paint Gladiator 2 as a bit of a disappointment, the $460 million global haul is high enough that strong performance on home viewing platforms could change the narrative. This is probably more of a long-term goal, however, and it would be interesting to evaluate just how successful the movie has been on all platforms six months or a year from now.

Even if Gladiator 2 somehow manages to crawl to profitability, it’s not looking likely that Scott’s plans for Gladiator 3 will be coming to fruition. The director has repeatedly expressed his interest in continuing Lucius’ story, but it looks like that will only happen now if he can figure out how to make the film for considerably less money. Gladiator 2 may not be as strong as the 2000 original starring Russell Crowe, but there is lots to like about it, and it’s now clear that audiences are enjoying checking the film out from the comfort of their own homes.

Source: Reelgood