The Colosseum Is Getting Wet
'Gladiator II' is likely to draw a hoard of horny tourists to experience the Roman Empire anew.
The first thing we see in the new trailer for Gladiator II is a radiantly smiling Denzel Washington with gold hoop earrings in his ears. It's his signature mischievous smile, and it is the cherry on top of a glorious, muscle-filled Sunday. The movie is Ridley Scott's epic, bloody follow-up to 2000's Gladiator and stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Joseph Quinn.
The film follows Lucius (Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, as he becomes a gladiator following the Roman invasion of his home. The trailer makes it seem like the film takes some of the original concepts of the first film and puts them on steroids. Instead of just fights in the famed Roman Colosseum, there are full-on battles with rhinoceroses. Instead of fights taking place solely on the arena's dirt ground, the Colosseum will be filled with boats, water, and sharks!
While the logistics of such a fight definitely benefited from Hollywood magic, this water fighting scene was based on actual historic battles called naumachiae, which were staged naval battles held in the Roman Colosseum. They really did fill that stadium with water, boats, and fighters and hold chaotic, heart-stopping battle sequences.
But this new water scene isn't the only reason the Colosseum is…getting wet. The trailer has opened up some new fanatics for the Roman Empire, but their focus isn't on the great armies, political scandals, and aqueducts.
Given the very sultry cast, people now developing fixations around the Roman Empire are really focusing on Mescal and Pascal's muscled legs in those little warrior skirts—not to mention Denzel's eternal handsomeness. Just look at some of the tweets borne from the trailer:
But this hype for the new Gladiator film isn't just bringing people to theaters in November or inspiring them to make exhaustingly detailed slow-motion edits of Paul Mescal rowing with his shirt off—the film might drive even more people to visit Rome.
The famed ancient city has already been a buzzy topic of conversation—the term "that's my Roman Empire" was run into the ground last year, and plenty of people were converting their lifelong fascination with Roman history into a trip to Rome. According to Reuters, the city had the most visitors on record in 2023, with more than 134 million people registered to stay overnight in Rome throughout the year.
"With Gladiator II premiering this November, it's no surprise that three different Colosseum tours are ranking in GetYourGuide's top 10 experiences booked this summer and fall," Madison Pietrowski, Director of Brand US GetYourGuide, said. "According to GetYourGuide's recent trends survey, over a third (36%) of Americans are inspired to visit a specific spot after seeing it on TV or in a movie. For Gladiator fans, stepping foot in the Colosseum is the ultimate way to immerse themselves into the life of a gladiator."
If you want to visit Rome, either due to Gladiator II and Denzel's kilowatt smile or because you really do want to see some magnificently designed aqueducts, Thrillist has some tips for you. We've got a guide on how to beat the crowds to visit the Ancient Roman sites you can see in the film, plus a guide to Vatican City if you're interested in post-Empire history.
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