From obscene sandworms to Wolverine’s head, there have been some creative popcorn buckets that have come along to celebrate the release of various movies this year, but the one for Gladiator 2 has got to be the best one yet. Set to release on November 22, Ridley Scott’s follow-up to his own epic that was released in 2000 traces Lucius (Paul Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, who becomes a gladiator after his home is invaded by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal).
Per a post from Discussing Film on X (seen below), the popcorn bucket for Gladiator 2 looks like a tiny Colosseum complete with a crowd, and two fighters at odds with one another in the middle of it. A QR code is present that fans can scan to activate an “AR gladiator battle,” making this bucket undoubtedly the most innovative one yet.
So far this year, we’ve been treated to the aforementioned Deadpool and Wolverine popcorn bucket, as well as the one from Dune – Part 2 that had the whole internet talking. There’s also been Art the Clown’s head for Terrifier 3, the ghost trap used to promote Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, another sandworm to help usher in Beetlejuice 2, and more subdued ones such as Garfield holding a container to celebrate Chris Pratt’s first outing as the titular orange tabby in The Garfield Movie.
Reception to Gladiator 2 Has Been Overwhelmingly Positive So Far
While many fans have taken to social media to sing the praises of the new popcorn bucket for Gladiator 2, with some calling it “cool af,” and others remarking that they’ll use it as an arena for their own action figures at home, early reception to the film itself has echoed the reaction to its snack container. Select critics have been given access to the movie ahead of its November release, with many praising the work of Denzel Washington, calling for him to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.
Noted critic Scott Mantz calls it “an epic sequel worthy of its Oscar-winning predecessor,” with Simon Thomspon adding that “Gladiator 2 serves up the richest feast in the epic action set pieces and deliciously ribald treachery.” Toss in Scott Menzel saying it’s “Ridley Scott’s best film since The Martian,” and it’s clear that thus far, everyone seems to be unanimous in their assessment of the film.
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Of course, we’re sure that Gladiator 2 will garner some negative reactions from fans once it’s released, as it’s been 24 years since the first film, and many have built it up so much in their heads that it can’t possibly live up to whatever expectations they’ve placed upon it. That being said, the film is still on track for a big November debut, with projections placing it behind the premiere of Wicked, estimating it will earn somewhere in the ballpark of $50 to $75 million. As to the future of Scott’s epic saga? He’s already said that work has begun on the development of a third film, which hopefully won’t take another two decades to deliver.