A 2000 epic historical drama directed by Ridley Scott about a Roman general betrayed by the new emperor Commodus and forced into the arena as a gladiator seeking revenge.
Production
DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures released Gladiator in May 2000. David Franzoni wrote the original screenplay, with rewrites by John Logan and William Nicholson. Russell Crowe starred as Maximus, with Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla.
Story
After the aged Marcus Aurelius names the general Maximus his successor instead of his own son Commodus, the new emperor murders his father, orders Maximus killed, and has his family executed. Maximus is enslaved, taken to North Africa, and trained as a gladiator under the lanista Proximo.
Reception
Gladiator received twelve Academy Award nominations and won five including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. The film is credited with reviving the sword-and-sandal historical epic for a new generation and launched a 2024 sequel directed again by Ridley Scott.
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