Gladiator

Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. The film was jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. It stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays Hispano-Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor. Inspired by Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 novel Those About to Die, the film's script, initially written by Franzoni, was acquired by DreamWorks and Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film. Principal photography, which started out before the script was completed, began in January 1999 and wrapped up in May of that year, with the scenes of Ancient Rome were shot over a period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricasoli, Malta. The film's computer-generated imagery effects were created by British post-production company The Mill. Gladiator was released in the United States on May 5, 2000 and received favorable reviews from critics; praise was given to the performances of Crowe and Phoenix, Scott's direction, visuals, action sequences, musical score, and the costume and set designs while criticism was aimed at the script. The film grossed $457 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2000. The film won multiple awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe and three other Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards and also won Best Picture at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and Producers Guild of America. It has also been credited with rekindling interest in entertainment centered around ancient Greek and Roman culture, such as the TV series Rome. =Championships=