Ridley Scott’s Classic Historical Epic Slices Onto Streaming as Sequel Works Advance

Gladiator Rises on Netflix

Gladiator, a fictionalized historical epic set during the Roman Empire, follows Maximus, a general whose family is killed by Commodus. After becoming a slave, Maximus rises as a gladiator while seeking revenge for the deaths of his wife and child.

As of October 26, 2026, the film ranked No. 6 on Netflix in the United States. Gladiator II stood at No. 2. Both titles joined the platform on October 21 and moved into the Top 10 over the following days.

A Successful Original Film

Released in 2000, Gladiator earned critical and commercial success. It has an 80% Certified Fresh score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and brought in $466 million against a $103 million budget.

The film helped define the careers of leads Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix and won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Gladiator II, released in 2024, was a relative box-office success, though its reviews were less positive.

A Third Film In Development

Scott is developing Gladiator III, with Paul Mescal expected to return as Lucius. The story is expected to continue Lucius’s journey after the events of Gladiator II. Scott had said by August 2025 that the third film was being developed, but no release date has been announced. The Netflix rankings for the first two films point to ongoing audience interest in the franchise ahead of another installment.