The number of movies that have made $800 million or more in the pandemic era is few and far between. At this point, Paramount is hoping this will become the next “Top Gun: Maverick.” Is it impossible that this movie hits just the right nostalgia nerve and makes nearly $1.5 billion worldwide? It’s not impossible, no, but it’s wildly unlikely. Far more likely? It goes the way of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which made $384 million worldwide against a budget in the $300 million range. In other words, the studio stands to lose a fortune here even if the movie sells a respectable number of tickets.
“Gladiator” was a huge hit in its day, taking in $460 million worldwide. If we account for inflation, that would be around $823 million in today’s dollars. But that was 24 years ago, and so much has changed. Can Paramount truly bank on this movie being just as big of a hit as the original just to break even? Is Paul Mescal capable of being the movie star that Russell Crowe once was? These are very expensive questions.
Granted, this movie had to weather the Hollywood strikes last year, which added millions to the bottom line. Although the report puts that figure at $10 million, that doesn’t nearly account for the fully ballooned cost. Whatever the case, no movie needs to cost $300 million and when Hollywood lets this happen, it’s bad for everyone involved. It’s not a new problem, and it’s one I’ve talked about a great deal in the past. But it’s one that needs to resolve itself sooner rather than later. This simply cannot be allowed to happen in the future if we want to have a healthy theatrical marketplace. Period.
“Gladiator 2” is set to hit theaters on November 22, 2024.