'Gladiator II': Thirst enters the Colosseum

As Gladiator II enters the theatrical arena against Wicked, it’s relying on a marketing tactic the 2000 film didn’t: thirst.

The Russell Crowe-led original won five Oscars, including Best Picture. It’s not that the sequel isn’t good — it’s been getting decent reviews — but 25 years have passed and the way movies are promoted has changed.

Stacy Spikes, the CEO of movie theater subscription service MoviePass, said the first Gladiator was “legendary.” Movies that showcase physically strong men aren’t uncommon, and there’s definitely a cultural “attraction” to them.

“Male roles really have a lot of training and physicality, and they've got to build their bodies because you can't CGI that stuff,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “I think that there's a lot of attention to that nowadays, as we live in an Instagram and TikTok world where it's just totally different than it used to be.”

When experts called out Gladiator II for its historical inaccuracies, like the inclusion of Colosseum sharks and the presence of a newspaper, some fans stated that they were more interested in its cast than its authenticity.

The trailer for Gladiator II shows its two leads, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, in peak physical form — glistening with sweat and blood, swinging weapons with their rippling arm and thigh muscles on display. They’ve both recently broken out as heartthrobs, but co-star Denzel Washington, who dons a dress and rings for the film, is a consummate heartthrob.

The press tour has involved thirst-inducing photoshoots and cheeky, suggestive interviews teasing deleted kiss scenes (which director Ridley Scott denied) and Mescal getting his “hands on” Pascal. TikTok is rife with fan-made videos showcasing the beauty of the cast.

John Trang, chief creative officer at video marketing company SplitMotion, told Yahoo Entertainment that Gladiator II “knows exactly what it’s doing by spotlighting its impossibly attractive, star-studded cast.”

“The epic story and stunning visuals are huge selling points, but getting audiences swooning over the cast is like free advertising,” he said. “It’s a no-brainer, really — who wouldn’t want to watch a movie featuring a lineup that’s as easy on the eyes as it is packed with talent?"

Adam Paul, an assistant professor of screen acting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Yahoo Entertainment that it makes sense the studio would lean into thirst marketing because it’s “stacked” with attractive stars with strong followings.

“Denzel’s sex on a stick for everybody. You don’t have to declare your sexuality to recognize that these guys are all super-duper sexy to begin with,” he said. “Pedro Pascal comes preloaded … with a huge throng of followers who either want him to be their daddy or their zaddy. He’s fantastic in all the ways we want our movie stars to be.”

Mescal, who has earned many acting accolades for his roles in smaller productions, is drawing plenty of anticipation in his first blockbuster film, Paul added.

He said it’s “ideal for filmmakers that people have either a groin-based or a gut-based response to their marketing.” As movie theaters fight to regain their pre-pandemic numbers, they’re pulling out all the stops.

“It’s no coincidence that men in the movie are doing what [the entertainment industry] has been doing with women forever,” Paul added. “The fact that it’s mostly men in this cast is, I suppose, refreshing.”

Gladiator II is now in theaters.