Gladiator Movie Details:
| Countries | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical, Action, Adventure, Drama |
| Release dates | May 1, 2000 (Premiere) May 5, 2000 (US) May 12, 2000 (UK) |
| Running time | 2hr 35min |
| Age rating | R |
| Starring | Russell Crowe Joaquin Phoenix Connie Nielsen Oliver Reed Derek Jacobi Djimon Hounsou Richard Harris |
| Directed by | Ridley Scott |
| Written by | Screenplay: David Franzoni John Logan William Nicholson Story: David Franzoni |
| Produced by | Douglas Wick David Franzoni Branko Lustig |
| Cinematography by | John Mathieson |
| Edited by | Pietro Scalia |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer Lisa Gerrard |
| Production Companies | DreamWorks Pictures Universal Pictures Scott Free Productions Red Wagon Entertainment |
| Distributor | DreamWorks Distribution (North America) Universal Pictures (International through United International Pictures) |
Gladiator Movie Cast & Characters:
- Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius: A Roman general forced into slavery who seeks revenge against Emperor Commodus for the murder of his family and the previous emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
- Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus: The amoral and power-hungry son of Marcus Aurelius.
- Connie Nielsen as Lucilla: Maximus’s former lover and the older child of Marcus Aurelius.
- Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo: An old, gruff gladiator trainer who buys Maximus in North Africa.
- Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes Commodus’s rule.
- Djimon Hounsou as Juba: An African tribesman who was taken from his home and family by slave traders.
- Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius: The elderly emperor of Rome who appoints Maximus to be his successor, with the ultimate aim of returning Rome to a republican form of government.
- Ralf Möller as Hagen: A Germanic warrior and Proximo’s chief gladiator who befriends Maximus and Juba during their battles in Rome.
- Tommy Flanagan as Cicero: Maximus’s loyal servant.
- David Schofield as Senator Falco: A patrician senator opposed to Gracchus.
- John Shrapnel as Senator Gaius: A Roman senator allied with Gracchus, Lucilla and Maximus against Commodus.
- Tomas Arana as Quintus (loosely based on Quintus Aemilius Laetus): A Roman military officer and commander of the Praetorian Guard.
- Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus: The young son of Lucilla.
- David Hemmings as Cassius: The master of ceremonies for the gladiatorial games in the Colosseum.
- Sven-Ole Thorsen as Tigris of Gaul. The only undefeated gladiator in Roman history, he was brought out of retirement by Commodus to kill Maximus.
- Omid Djalili as a slave trader.
- Giannina Facio as Maximus’s wife.
- Giorgio Cantarini as Maximus’s son, who is the same age as Lucilla’s son, Lucius.
- John Quinn as Valerius, a Roman general in the army of Maximus.
Storyline:
The death of emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus (Russell Crowe) is one of the Roman army’s most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus’ devious son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences. Determined to avenge himself against the man who took away his freedom and laid waste to his family, Maximus believes that he can use his fame and skill in the ring to avenge the loss of his family and former glory.
Gladiator Movie Budget & Box Office Collection:
| Budget | $103 million |
| Opening weekend | $34.8 million |
| United States and Canada Collection | $187.7 million |
| United Kingdom Collection | $43 million |
| Worldwide Collection | $460.6 million |
About Gladiator Movie:
Gladiator is a historical action-adventure drama film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Tomas Arana, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, Richard Harris, and Tommy Flanagan.
The screenplay, initially written by David Franzoni, was inspired by the 1958 Daniel P. Mannix novel Those About to Die. The script was acquired by DreamWorks Pictures, and Scott signed on to direct the film.
Principal photography of the film began in January 1999 and was completed in May of that year. Production was complicated by the script being rewritten multiple times and by the death of Oliver Reed before production was finished. Over 27,000 pieces of armor were made specially for this movie.
Five tigers were used in the scene where Maximus fights Tigris the Gaul in the arena. A veterinarian armed with tranquilizer darts was present the entire time of this scene’s shooting. For safety’s sake, Russell Crowe was kept at least 15 feet away from the tigers.
Gladiator was released in the United States and Canada on May 5, 2000. Critics praised the acting, directing, cinematography, production design, and musical score. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.
The film earned $34.8 million during its opening weekend and $24.6 million in its second weekend. The film spent a total of ten weeks in the top ten at the box office and was in theaters for over a year, finishing its theatrical run on May 10, 2001.
The film’s total gross in the United States and Canada was $187.7 million. In the United Kingdom, it grossed $43 million. Outside of the United States and Canada, the film grossed $272.9 million, bringing its total worldwide gross to $460.6 million against a budget of $103 million. Gladiator was the second-highest-grossing film worldwide in 2000, behind Mission: Impossible 2, which grossed $546.4 million.
A sequel, titled Gladiator II, is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 22, 2024.
