The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is thrilled to announce that it is hosting the Asian premiere of Gladiator II, the highly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 Oscar-winning masterpiece. The Asian Premiere screening will be held on November 5 at one of TIFF’s main venues, with the glamorous stars and crew of Gladiator II on site: The film’s leading man Paul Mescal, making his first visit to Japan, along with Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen and Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington, as well as producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher.

The Centerpiece screening is the first special slot in TIFF’s long history, created exclusively for Gladiator II. We hope that the film will attract a great turnout at the 37th TIFF and become one of the most iconic films of the year.

A historically unique and spectacular work, Gladiator II features a new story set more than a decade after the masterpiece Gladiator, which won five awards at the 73rd Academy Awards®, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe), out of 12 nominations. Directed, as was the first film, by the legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, Gladiator II showcases an even more overwhelming intensity and burning passion, enhanced by the latest technology. Gladiator II is based on characters created by David Franzoni with a story by Peter Craig and David Scarpa and a screenplay by David Scarpa.

Before the November 5 screening, a press conference with the cast and crew will be held in collaboration with Towa Pictures on November 4, and fans will be invited.

Ahead of the nationwide release in Japan of this year’s final Hollywood blockbuster, the dazzling cast from Gladiator II will spark a frenzy across Japan, starting at TIFF.

Comment from Ichiyama Shozo, 37th TIFF Programming Director

Gladiator II showcases a stellar cast of actors who are riding a wave of success and an even more epic scale that surpasses the previous film. We are honored to screen Gladiator II as our Centerpiece, which is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited films by audiences worldwide this year.