Ridley Scott’s much-anticipated sequel, Gladiator II, is set to kick off its Asian box office journey in Japan. On Friday, the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) announced it will host the Asian premiere of the epic film on November 5, marking a significant event more than two weeks ahead of its North American release over Thanksgiving weekend on November 22.
The screening is a major win for Japan’s premier film festival, which once regularly hosted Hollywood premieres. However, the festival had seen fewer such events in recent years as Hollywood studios shifted their marketing focus towards China’s once-dominant box office.
Although Ridley Scott will not be attending the event, the Gladiator II cast will be present in force. Star Paul Mescal will make his first visit to Japan for the premiere, joined by co-stars Denzel Washington, Fred Hechinger, and Connie Nielsen, along with producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher.
The Tokyo International Film Festival has introduced a new category, “Centerpiece Screening,” specifically for this high-profile premiere of Gladiator II, underscoring its significance for the event.
“We hope that the film will attract a great turnout at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival and become one of the most iconic films of the year,” festival organizers said in a statement.
The original Gladiator, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, grossed $465.4 million worldwide, with Japan contributing $15.5 million, making it the film’s biggest market in Asia and the seventh largest globally.
Gladiator II, based on characters created by David Franzoni and with a screenplay by David Scarpa, takes place more than a decade after the original film’s events. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus II, the nephew of Emperor Commodus, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the original. After being forced into slavery, Lucius returns to Rome not as a ruler, but as a gladiator seeking revenge and power. Washington plays Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer and power broker.
Shozo Ichiyama, the artistic director of the Tokyo Film Festival, praised the film’s selection, stating, “Gladiator II showcases a stellar cast and offers an even grander scale than the original film. We are honored to feature Gladiator II as our centerpiece, and it is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited films by audiences around the world this year.”
With such a star-studded cast and the legacy of the original Gladiator, the Tokyo premiere of Gladiator II promises to be one of the most significant cinematic events of the year in Asia.
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