One of the biggest releases of November was the long-awaited sequel to Gladiator. The new film followed the Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he returned to Rome, fought in the arena, and battled the corruption of Rome.
The film, directed by Ridley Scott, returned Connie Nielsen as Lucila, Lucius’ mother, and the daughter of Marcus Aurelius. She’s now married to the decorated Roman General Acacius (Pedro Pascal). He’s the leading warrior of the new Emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
Soon, the Emperors bring back the games at the Coliseum, bigger and better than ever. That calls Marcus Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave turned gladiator master who has big plans. His best warrior is Lucius, who is going by the name Hanno after being captured in one of Rome’s conquests. It isn’t a great homecoming as Lucius is forced to use his skill to try and save the Empire his grandfather helped build.
Gladiator II was much anticipated and became a popular late year release. It earned more than $450 million at the box office, and earned plenty of honors as well. It was named to the 10 Best Films of the Year list from the National Board of Review and earned two Golden Globe nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Washington.
The film figures to be a contender for the Oscar nominations, which will be announced on Thursday, January 23. Now, it is available to stream for anyone with a Paramount Plus subscription.
For those who aren’t drawn to the Coliseum, there are a few other original films available on Paramount Plus.
Henry Danger: The Movie
This spin-off of the long-running Nickelodeon series dropped on the streamer on January 17. The film runs just an hour and 27 minutes, making it a quick watch that will likely be appealing to fans that watched the series throughout its run.
Original series stars Jace Norman, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella Anderson, and Frankie Grande reprise their roles. This movie picks up a few years after the series ended with Kid Danger (Norman) and his friend Jasper (Fox) fighting crime. But their relationship is strained. It’s further strained when Kid Danger is pulled into an alternate world created by a fan, Missy Martin (Glee Dango). Now, they have to fight their way back out to reality.
This film will appeal to younger viewers, especially those who faithfully watched the series. It’s available to stream now on Paramount Plus.
Star Trek: Section 31
The other streaming film coming to Paramount Plus this month is another spin-off of a popular franchise, this time from the Star Trek universe. The film Star Trek: Section 31 streams on Friday, January 24, and centers on Phillipa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh).
Georgiou was introduced in the series Star Trek: Discovery, which wrapped up its run in 2024. Her character departed before the last season to join Section 31, the mysterious secret division of Starfleet. This film picks up with her character in Section 31, providing some closure to her story and arc.
The film is aimed at Star Trek fans but should be a nice showcase for Yeoh as well. The rest of the cast includes Omari Hardwick and Sam Richardson, among others. The film streams Friday on Paramount Plus.