After 24 years of anticipation, the sequel of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II hit Australian cinemas on Wednesday last week, marking the beginning of a big summer season for cinema.
The film slashed through the global box office delivering $87 million across 63 markets, marking the biggest international opening of Ridley Scott’s career.
In Australia, the film earned $7.6 million over its Wednesday to Sunday opening weekend, securing the fifth-largest opening of 2024.
“Gladiator II is an exhilarating, action-packed cinematic masterpiece. From the start, we knew it had all the right elements for success—its broad appeal across generations, years of pent-up anticipation, and a story that would captivate audiences. And it has done just that,” said Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan Cinema.
“Gladiator II is the first of the big five that will be released over the summer and has well and truly set the foundation for what we’re expecting to be one of the biggest summers yet. We’re confident the film will continue to draw strong audiences throughout its run, well into the December holidays and beyond, and will no doubt resonate in the cultural conversation for years to come,” added Burbidge.
The film delivered over 326,000 admissions from Wednesday to Sunday last week, with 82 per cent of the total audience falling within the P18-54 demographic, proving the film’s broad appeal across generations. It also opened particularly strongly for male audiences, who accounted for 63 per cent of this audience. This exceptional result drove a +45 per cent increase in total weekend admissions compared to the prior week, signalling strong momentum heading into the summer holidays.
The next wave of highly anticipated blockbuster releases—including Wicked, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3—will hit cinemas by Boxing Day. The momentum will continue into the new year with other big titles like Paddington in Peru, We Live in Time, Captain America: Brave New World, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Sinners and the live-action adaptation Snow White all releasing between January to March.
