Ridley Scott Has Wanted That Rhino Battle From the Gladiator 2 Trailer for 25 Years
Dreams do come true.
The first Gladiator 2 trailer is here, and it’s got something director Ridley Scott has wanted for a long time: a rhino.
Today’s trailer for the long-awaited sequel teases an action-packed epic and sequel to Scott’s original 2000 classic. Though the first film managed to entertain audiences with standout performances from Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, it lacked a certain horned mammal that he wanted to include. Doug Wick, who produced Gladiator, told ComicBook.com in 2020 that Scott’s rhinoceros dreams were shattered due to expensive CG costs.
“There are issues that were really more about cost,” Wick said at the time. “Which is, for example, Ridley wanted a rhino in the arena. And, when we talked to the animal trainers, they said, 'Well, they're great to work with, but once you start it, you can't stop it.' So then we priced a CG rhino and it was just too expensive. So I would say that was one of the regrets, we couldn't give Ridley a CG rhino.”
Wick added that it’s been a “running joke, that if we ever do a sequel, Ridley gets his rhino.” Well, Gladiator 2 is nearly here, and so is that rhino.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, the film’s budget managed to balloon from around $165 million to around $310 million. We see some of that high price in the trailer, as the animal steals the show by recklessly running toward Paul Mescal’s Lucius before he throws sand in its blood-covered face.
The Gladiator 2 trailer offers more than just a shiny CG rhino to hold onto until its release this fall. Elsewhere in the trailer, we can see more from Mescal as well as Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius and Denzel Washington as Macrinus. Gladiator 2 charges into theaters November 22, 2024. It’ll share its date with the live-action film version of Wicked, giving audiences an unexpected follow-up to last year’s Barbenheimer trend.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
