Paul Mescal's Career Box Office Total Reaches Gladiatorial New Heights

Featuring a certified fresh 72% critical score on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Ridley Scott’sGladiator IIhas managed to go toe to toe with two major contenders in the box office colosseum and has come out thus far with its head held high. Although not reaching the same global totals asMoana 2andWicked,Gladiator IIhas earned a more-than-respectable $369 million worldwide, with the likelihood of that figure reaching $400 million sometime soon very high.

Not only has the film succeeded as a whole, but it hasprovided plenty of achievements for its individual contributors as well. FromScott passing Tim Burton on the box office list of all-time directorstoPedro Pascal’s career total reaching $1.9 billion, the swords-and-sandals legacy sequel has so far been a blessing for its many key components, with starPaul Mescalnow finally able to join that club. Officially, thanks toGladiator II’s sustained success, Mescal’s careerbox office total has now hit $400 millionthanks almost entirely toGladiator II.

Given Mescal has only been performing in movies for three years, this is an achievement definitely worth celebrating, even if it pales numerically to the totals of some of his co-stars. Alongside small hauls from the likes ofThe Lost Daughter, God’s Creatures,andFoe, there are just two other movies in Mescal’s filmography to have made a recognizable impact on the road to this major milestone. These two films areCharlotte Wells' moving masterpieceAftersunandAll of Us StrangerswithAndrew Scott, with both proving not just popular with viewers but also with critics.Contributing a combined $30 million to the $400 million total, this pair of heartfelt triumphs showcase Mescal at his subtle best, withGladiator IIshowcasing the actor as a potential future mainstay Hollywood frontman.

Denzel Washington Steals the Show in ‘Gladiator II’

Among the many praise-worthy aspects of this long-awaited sequel, thesupporting performance of Denzel Washingtonis at the top. As the former slave turned revenge-hungry businessman Macrinus — in a role based on a real-life figure —Washington steals every scene, with many already citing him as a front-runner for the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 2025 Oscars. Collider’sRoss Bonaimewas eager to point outin his reviewjust how impressive Washington’s performance was, saying:

“But as one might expect, all of these supporting performances areovershadowed by Denzel Washington, whose Macrinus is electric in every scene. Even though this is a supporting role, Washington commands our attention,making even the best actors in any given scene seem like amateurs by comparison. There’s a Shakespearian quality to Washington’s performance, and he’s delightfully devious in how he uses others to get what he wants. While everyone else in this film seems to be playing checkers, Washington’s Macrinus is playing political chess, and it’s wonderful to see Washington relish in a role that allows him to be this untrustworthy.”