“Gladiator II” (Paramount) is expected to gross over $60 million when it open this week in the U.S./Canada.
(It’s already playing in most of the world, where it’s taken in $87 million in 63 territories.) If so, that will be a strong start for Ridley Scott ‘s 29th feature in his 45-year career. With a budget reported to be somewhere around $250 million-$300 million, it will need all of that and more.
While this may be his fourth film to cost over over $200 million (adjusting to current dollar value), “ Gladiator II” appears to be the highest spend of Scott’s career. It’s also the record expense for a director over 80. Paramount’s decision to entrust Scott clearly speaks to his past performances, particularly internationally.
We surveyed all 28 previous Scott features, calculating their grosses and budgets at 2024 values. And while a $60 million “Gladiator II” opening would be a record on paper, that only works if you don’t adjust his track record to current dollars and ticket prices. In reality, it would need to be over $75 million to be among his five best in the U.
S./Canada. (For the record, unadjusted his best opening was the 2001 “Hannibal,” $58 million, adjusted about $120 million; at $228 million, the 2015 “The Martian” is his best domestic total.
) Here is how his films rank in worldwide adjusted results, grouped by approximate gross ranges. Exact numbers, particularly for pre-2000 foreign results, are more difficult to pin down with pre.