Ridley Scots's "Gladiator 2" divides viewers, trailer sets record

"Gladiator 2" could just as quickly become one of the recent biggest box office hits or suffer a spectacular failure that will be talked about for years. Its trailer is breaking viewership records, but many viewers give it negative reviews. We will find out the fate of Ridley Scott's film in mid-November.

History tends to repeat itself, which is likely what the creators of the second instalment of "Gladiator" are counting on. Ridley Scott's historical production from 2000 was also born through great difficulties, and many people predicted its spectacular failure. When filming began, the script wasn't ready yet, actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack in a bar in Malta, the budget was significantly exceeded, and the filmmakers had to shorten the shooting schedule, which forced them to work almost around the clock, and critics and viewers mocked the "sandal cinema."

Meanwhile, "Gladiator" became the hit of the year and won five Oscars – for Best Picture, Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound. The historical spectacle had seven more nominations, including for composer Hans Zimmer, who gave the creators of "Gladiator 2" an unpleasant surprise by declining the offer to compose the music.

"And all I’d do is set myself up for either trying to repeat myself, which I don’t want to do, or getting slaughtered by critics who say you didn’t do it as well as you did the first time," Zimmer explained his decision. He recently composed the music for the second part of "Dune" and earlier for four films in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. From his comments, one can infer that he feared critics were not and would not be favourably inclined towards the second part of "Gladiator."

For now, the interest in Ridley Scott's latest film, specifically its trailer, is enormous. However, the large number of negative comments is concerning, which don't even pertain to the trailer's content but rather the idea of making a "Gladiator" sequel.

"The Hollywood Reporter" reports that the "Gladiator 2" trailer received nearly 250 million views on various platforms worldwide within a few days (the best result this year), suggesting that Scott's film is a highly anticipated follow-up to the hit from 24 years ago. However, reading the comments gives the impression that the movie has also become a laughingstock for many viewers. "I can't wait for 'Saving Private Ryan 2: Save Him Again'," "Next year we'll see 'Titanic 2: Jack's Revenge" – internet users are competing to come up with titles for fictional (for now) sequels.