Gladiator II director Ridley Scott addresses the sequel’s budget after reports of costs spiraling out of control. 24 years after the acclaimed original Gladiator, Scott is returning to Ancient Rome for a new story following Lucius (Paul Mescal), Maximus’ (Russell Crowe) son, as he becomes a celebrated fighter in the Colosseum. Gladiator 2 trailers have teased that the sequel will be an action-packed epic, but a worrying report about the sequel’s budget in February of this year claimed that costs ballooned from $165 million to $310 million, which would have major implications for the film’s commercial prospects if true.
