Gladiator 2, the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s original 2000 movie, may have only just arrived, but you might already be wondering: will there be a Gladiator 3?
With 24 years between the original and the sequel, Gladiator 2 came as some surprise. Based on Scott’s comments, though, we have a pretty good idea about whether a threequel is on the cards. Below, we break down what Scott has said about a potential Gladiator 3 and whether the second movie leaves things open for more. Naturally, that means there are Gladiator 2 spoilers ahead! Turn back now if you’re not up to date on the movie!
If you are up to speed, head to the below to find out all you need to know about a possible Gladiator 3.
Will there be a Gladiator 3?
Nothing is confirmed just yet, but it certainly sounds like a Gladiator 3 is on the way. Director Ridley Scott shared with our sister publication Total Film that work had begun on a threequel. “I’ve already got eight pages. I’ve got the beginning of a very good footprint,” he shared.
But, don’t expect another Colosseum showdown. “If there’s a Gladiator 3, I don’t think you’d ever go back into the arena,” Scott commented. “But I had to go back into the arena…”
Gladiator 2 certainly leaves things open for more, too. Paul Mescal’s Lucius comes out victorious against Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, meaning Rome is in Lucius’s hands. Surely, there’s more story to tell in the wake of Lucius’s victory.
In fact, Scott has even addressed that possibility, too. “I’m already toying with the idea of Gladiator 3. No, seriously! I’ve lit the fuse,” Scott told Premiere magazine (via Variety). “The ending of Gladiator 2 is reminiscent of The Godfather, with Michael Corleone finding himself with a job he didn’t want, and wondering, ‘Now, Father, what do I do?’ So the next [film] will be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”
While you wait for further updates, check out our Gladiator 2 review for our verdict on the movie, as well as our guides to this year’s upcoming movies and the best action movies to fill out your watchlist.