Gladiator II

Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Release date: November 22, 2024 (USA)

Director: Ridley Scott

Box office: $462.2 million

Budget: : $310 million (gross); $210 million (net);

Story by: Peter Craig; David Scarpa

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures

Nearly two and a half decades after the monumental film "Gladiator" hit theaters, acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott is returning the iconic Roman-era epic to the big screen with "Gladiator II."

The film, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and more, is a Roman warrior story of redemption, family and nation, told on a scale big enough to match its preceding legacy.

In an interview with "Good Morning America," the cast opened up about making the second installment of a classic, carrying on the "Gladiator" legacy and how Scott "built" Rome for the new film.

"Let's go back to business," said Scott, explaining his decision to return to the franchise. "It's such a monumental success, you'd be a fool not to try 'Gladiator II.'"

"We thought about it for 24 years -- not every day, it was always there in the back of my mind," he continued. "But in that time, I did 17 other movies. Big ones. So, it really wasn't an incredible challenge other than saying 'It would be nice to get to it,' And we finally got to it by sitting down at a table and saying, 'Whatever happened to Lucius?'"