Yes, many of the characters in ‘Gladiator’ and its new sequel are based on actual figures from ancient Rome Gladiator II might seem too wild to be believed — Colosseum rhinos and baboons and sharks, oh my!

It's a Tuesday night and I'm sitting in a dark theater, quietly waiting for Denzel Washington to make his grand appearance in Gladiator II. In full transparency, he's the main reason I wanted to see the movie.

In Gladiator II, Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a deliciously evil arms dealer who acquires Paul Mescal’s Lucius for his stable of gladiators. Though the film is set in 200 A.D. Rome, Washington speaks like Denzel Washington,

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s "Wicked" is dominating Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington’s “Gladiator II” this weekend at the domestic box office.

Wicked” is pocketing lots of green, with the Universal release coming in on the upper side of projections to head toward the third-biggest domestic opening of the year. Now forecasting a $117 million sum for the weekend,