Gladiator II, the much-anticipated sequel to the iconic film, has made a thunderous debut in Australian cinemas, earning $7.6 million over its opening weekend. The film's impressive performance marks it as the fifth-largest opening of 2024 in Australia, setting the stage for a blockbuster summer at the box office.

The film attracted a staggering 326,000 admissions over its opening weekend, with a significant 82% of the total audience falling within the P18-54 demographic. The film particularly resonated with male audiences, indicating a strong appeal to this demographic.

The opening weekend saw a remarkable 45% increase in admissions compared to the prior weekend, indicating a surge in audience interest and anticipation for the film. Globally, Gladiator II has already raked in a staggering $87 million across 63 markets, marking the biggest international opening of director Ridley Scott's illustrious career.

"Gladiator II is an exhilarating, action-packed cinematic masterpiece. From the start, we knew it had all the right elements for success—its broad appeal across generations, years of pent-up anticipation, and a story that would captivate audiences. And it has done just that," said Guy Burbidge, Managing Director of Val Morgan Cinema. "Gladiator II is the first of the big five that will release over the summer, and has well and truly set the foundation for what we’re expecting to be one of the biggest summers yet."

Burbidge further expressed confidence that the film would continue to draw strong audiences throughout its run, well into the December holidays and beyond, and would resonate in the cultural conversation for years to come.

The summer of cinema will see the release of other highly anticipated blockbuster releases including Wicked, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 by Boxing Day. Other big titles like Paddington in Peru, We Live in Time, Captain America: Brave New World, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Sinners and the live-action adaptation Snow White will release between January to March.