The runtime for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II epic has been revealed, and while it is one of the acclaimed director’s longest-ever movies, it’s seven minutes shorter than the original Gladiator starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. The sequel doesn't hit theaters for another month, but Scott has already teased plans to make the saga a trilogy.
Slash Film reports that Gladiator II has a runtime of 148 minutes, or 2 hours and 28 minutes, making it shorter than Gladiator (2000), which ran for 2 hours and 35 minutes. Scott's longest film is 2023’s Napoleon with a theatrical runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes. He added 48 more minutes to the director’s cut, making it 3 hours and 24 minutes. The award-winning filmmaker is known for extending the running time of his movies throughout his career: Kingdom of Heaven (2005) is 2h 24m, Prometheus (2012) is 2h 4m, Alien (1979) is 1h 57m, and Blade Runner (1982) is 1h 57m.
Speaking to Empire about Gladiator II, Scott said, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever made.” He also told the outlet that the film features the biggest action sequence he's ever done, saying:“We are opening the film with the biggest action sequence I've ever done. It will be even bigger than the opening in 'Napoleon.' Audiences will see Lucius facing off with a rhinoceros in the Colosseum. I've got a rhinoceros that can run at 64 kilometers per hour, turn on the spot, and snort and roar thanks to artificial intelligence.”
Gladiator II features a star-studded cast including Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Pedro Pascal. It is set more than two decades after the events of the first film.