Denzel Washingtonis renowned as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Acting since the late 1970s, Washington has been nominated for numerous Oscars for his acting work, winning awards forGloryandTraining Day. An actor on both the stage and screen,Washington’s careeris characterized by his distinguished dramatic roles in works likeFencesandMalcolm X. In more recent days, the beloved actor made a statement that suggested he might retire. Luckily for his fans, however, Washington later clarified that he would simply be more selective and continue more behind-the-scenes work, rather than retire completely.
In addition to his Oscar nominations, Washington has also been in a number of blockbuster films. Franchise-wise, this has notably included Antoine Fuqua’sThe Equalizertrilogy. Those films have collectively made nearly $600 million at the worldwide box office, becoming a major contributor to Washington’s overall box office. While this is Washington’s main franchise draw, he has also been in movies likeInside ManandUnstoppablewhich have gone on to make over $150 million. With a recent release, Washington’s box office just got even more exciting.
Gladiator II Pushes Washington Into A New Career Milestone
Gladiator II Will Likely Become Washington’s Highest-Grossing Movie
Gladiator II’s box office will soon make Washington cross one of his own career records. TheRidley Scott historical epic, which continues the story of his Russell Crowe-starring 2000 filmGladiator, was released domestically on November 22 and in various international markets for two weeks before that. In this couple of weeks,Gladiator IIhas amassed over $220 million worldwide at the box office. Only a portion of this came from the film’s domestic release, which amounted to a $55 million debut.
PerCollider,Gladiator II’s $220 million release makes it thesecond-highest-grossing film in Washington’s career. At the time of writing, it is beaten out only byAmerican Gangster, which made $267.9 million worldwide.Gladiator II, however, has only been in domestic theaters for one weekend, giving it ample earning potential for the future. Even ifGladiator IIbeatsAmerican Gangster, the record also means that Scott will direct both of Washington’s top 2 films at the box office.
Our Take On Washington’s Box Office Success
Washington is an interesting case because of how much time he has dedicated to high art films in his career. Unlike other box office record-breakers like Dwayne Johnson, who gets his huge numbers primarily from franchises, Washington’s career box office totals (which come to over $4 billion) are high because of the breadth of main roles he has in his career. This abundance makesGladiator II’s fast track to the Washington record even more impressive. As it enters only its second weekend in theaters,Gladiator IIis almost certain to becomeWashington’s highest grosser.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
