Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel was hit by the strikes and then hit by an accident on-set. This, among other things, might have impacted the budget ever so slightly. How slightly? Well…
According to a new report in The Hollywood Reporter the initial budget of $165 million is now… wait for it… $310 million. That is more than the most expensive private yacht in the world, the Al Said.
The studio insists it is not that high, but the report quotes insiders as saying:
“It’s a runaway. It’s not being managed.”
Is the studio losing sleep over this? Not really. Apparently the footage they have seen is spectacular and the post-production is actually proceeding smoothly.
Gladiator 2 stars Paul Mescal in the lead and co-stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Lucas, and Derek Jacobi.
Mescal plays a grown-up version of the child Lucius, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), from the first film. Lucius has been “out in the wilderness” for the past fifteen years and is out of touch with his mother who doesn’t know where he is.
The film will take place around the early 3rd century AD when brothers Caracalla (Quinn) and Geta (Hechinger) jointly ruled as Emperors. Caracalla was a bloodthirsty tyrant who ordered his younger brother’s murder shortly just months after their father died.
Washington plays a former gladiator who won his freedom and is now rich but still holds a grudge.
Gladiator 2 hits theaters on November 22nd, if nothing goes wrong.
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