'Gladiator 2' is poised for epic success or catastrophic flop

History tends to repeat itself, and this is likely what the creators of the second installment of "Gladiator" are counting on. Ridley Scott's historical production from 2000 also faced significant challenges, and many predicted its spectacular failure. When filming began, the script wasn’t completed, 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, forcing them to work almost around the clock, while critics and viewers mocked the "sandal cinema."

Despite these challenges, "Gladiator" became the year's hit and won five Oscars – 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," explained Zimmer. 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.