The public, enraged, cries for the lives of the gladiators and Emperor Commodus points the thumb of his hand up or down, depending on whether the spectators ask for mercy or death. Of course ...

(“Pollice verso” is Latin for “with a turned thumb.”) "That image spoke to ... Law tested for Commodus, but Joaquin Phoenix ran away with the role. Lopez reportedly tried out for Lucilla ...

I’m not legally allowed to do that for Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” because somebody trademarked “thumb reviews ... murderous schemes of Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix ...

Maximus gains allies, and among them is his former lover Lucilla, Commodus' sister. She and her son Lucius are stuck under her brother's malicious thumb. It's a film fraught with deadly fights ...

However, he is betrayed by the emperor’s jealous son, Commodus, who kills Marcus Aurelius and sizes the throne of Rome. After escaping arrest and discovering his family has been murdered by ...

The anticipated feature stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the nephew of the original film’s Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who, like that project’s hero Maximus ...

The story starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a slave gladiator who takes on Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus as an act of revenger for the emperor killing his whole family. The film won 5 Oscars at the ...

How do you follow Russell Crowe’s iconic Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix’s detestable Emperor Commodus, and all that sweet swords-and-sandals action (plus a best picture Oscar win) and not look silly?