It has been 24 years since Ridley Scott’s famed Gladiator hit the screens. So many years, in fact, that I had not yet joined everyone else on Earth when the film dropped. After almost a quarter of a century, Gladiator is back…in the form of a 4K SteelBook. Nevertheless, it is an exciting precursor to the upcoming sequel.
The limited edition Blu-ray 4K reprint of Gladiator comes in a striking SteelBook cover printed with scenes straight from the film. The historical action film was first released in 2000 and follows the main character Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, in enacting vengeance on Commodus, the Emperor’s son. Maximus rises through the ranks in the Roman gladiator system, doing whatever it takes to make justice prevail.
The SteelBook comes with two discs, one with 4K Blu-ray and the other with standard Blu-ray. Along with the two discs is a digital streaming code to watch the film on the go. The limited edition is packed with special features, including deleted scenes with Scott’s commentary, abandoned sequences, and storyboard designs.
There are a couple of different formats to choose from when watching the film. Of course, the standard theatrical version is available to watch. One of the bonus features of the discs is audio commentary of the movie by director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe. Additionally, viewers can watch the film in its unrated version, which includes gory scenes cut from the original theatrical run.
This release comes at perfect timing, as the long-awaited sequel to Gladiator is finally reaching theatres on Nov. 22. Gladiator II will take place two decades after the first and star Paul Mescal in the lead role as Lucius, the son of Maximus. Lucius seems to embark on a journey as a gladiator to avenge those he loves. Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington are also in the star-studded cast.
The Gladiator SteelBook will be available for purchase on Amazon starting Nov. 12, priced at $30.