Gladiator II has big sandals to fill. Its predecessor, the 2000 historical epic starring Russell Crowe, was both a box office hit and a Best Picture winner at the Oscars. Director Ridley Scott’s long-gestating sequel,

Ridley Scott's first Gladiator movie features a number of plot points that play a significant role in the long-awaited sequel.

I don’t much like the first “Gladiator.” I think it’s a big dumb overdone movie. It’s fun enough in its way, and lines like, “Are you not entertained?” and “I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next” are kind of cool.

Twenty-four years after the first film premiered, director Ridley Scott and an A-list cast returned to Rome for Gladiator 2. With stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, the film doesn't lack for talent.

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.