If Gladiator II encounters the theatrical arena Bad, it relies on a marketing tactic unknown to the 2000 film: thirst.
The Russell Crowe-led original won five Oscars, including Best Picture. It’s not that the sequel isn’t good – it’s getting decent reviews – but 25 years have passed and the way films are promoted has changed.
Stacy Spikes, the CEO of movie theater subscription service MoviePass, said the former Gladiator was ‘legendary’. Movies that feature physically strong men are not uncommon, and they definitely have cultural ‘appeal’.
Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2. (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
“Male roles really need a lot of training and physicality, and they have to build their bodies, because you can’t CGI that stuff,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “I think there’s a lot of attention to that these days because we live in an Instagram and TikTok world where it’s just completely different than it used to be.”
When experts called Gladiator II due to the historical inaccuracies, such as the inclusion of Colosseum sharks and the presence of a newspaper, some fans stated that they were more interested in the cast than its authenticity.
The trailer in front Gladiator II shows the two leads, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, in top form – glistening with sweat and blood, brandishing weapons as their rippling arm and thigh muscles are visible. They’ve both recently broken out as heartthrobs, but co-star Denzel Washington, who dons a dress and rings for the movie, is a consummate heartthrob.
The press tour included thirst-inducing photo shoots and cheeky, suggestive interviews teasing deleted kiss scenes (which director Ridley Scott denied) and Mescal getting his hands on Pascal. TikTok is full of fan-made videos showcasing the beauty of the cast.
Denzel Washington in Gladiator 2. (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
John Trang, chief creative officer at video marketing company SplitMotion, told Yahoo Entertainment Gladiator II “knows exactly what it’s doing in showcasing its impossibly attractive, star-studded cast.”
“The epic story and stunning visuals are huge selling points, but making audiences swoon over the cast is like free advertising,” he said. “It’s really a no-brainer: who wouldn’t want to watch a movie with a lineup that’s as easy on the eyes as it is packed with talent?”
Paul Mescal and Peter Mensah Gladiator 2. (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Adam Paul, an assistant professor of film acting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Yahoo Entertainment that it makes sense that the studio would focus on thirst marketing because it is “stacked” with attractive stars with a strong following.
‘Denzel’s sex on a stick for everyone. You don’t have to reveal your sexuality to recognize that these guys are all super sexy to begin with,” he said. “Pedro Pascal comes preloaded… with a huge crowd of followers who want him to be their father or their zaddy. He is 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 generating a lot of anticipation for his first blockbuster, Paul added.
Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2. (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
He said it’s “ideal for filmmakers to have people respond to their marketing based on their groin or their gut feelings.” As movie theaters fight to regain their pre-pandemic numbers, they’re pulling out all the stops.
“It is no coincidence that men do something in the film [the entertainment industry] what we have always done with women,” Paul added. “The fact that it’s mostly men in this cast is, I think, refreshing.”
Gladiator II is in theaters now.
