Gladiator 2 premiered in theaters right before Thanksgiving, and it was the true Roman Empire we’d been waiting for! We saw Russell Crowe’s character Maximus boldly reclaim his legacy in the first Gladiator, but the sequel followed Lucius' storyline. It was one of our most-anticipated 2024 movies and we can’t wait to dish about all the important details you need to know!
Get your popcorn and one of our delicious cocktail recipes ready because you’re in for a real treat!Gladiator II/IMDB
Great question! Gladiator 2 is reportedly available to watch RIGHT NOW on Paramount+ so consider yourself lucky if you're already a subscriber (via The Hollywood Reporter) . The outlet also reports you can buy it on Prime Video or Apple TV!
Let's make a pact to watch it after work so we can be entertained on yet another snow day.
Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington, and Paul Mescal were absolutely electric together! And the use of "No Church in the Wild" by Jay-Z and Ye? My jaw literally dropped.
I originally wanted to know if these three powerhouses could form an alliance that would change the future in Gladiator 2. Despite the outcome (no spoiler alerts here!), there was sizzling action...and bodies. And by sizzling, I really mean it. Paul revealed in an interview with EW that his arena scene, which will feature a CGI rhino, was so hot, he was "borderline throwing up."
"We shot that for about two or three days, but the heat was just….My Irish blood does not function with Ridley's shooting schedule, which is like sun up to sun down, hottest parts of the day," he says. "It was brutal, the fight. I grew up playing sports, so I would consider myself pretty robust and happy to throw myself around, but it was just the [arena] itself became like a radiator. I was borderline throwing up, irritable, just hardcore. Between takes I was firing ice straight down my back."
Pedro Pascal also recalled a few memorable moments from shooting the film, and my personal favorite was what sounds like the greatest blooper of all time. "I was running off the drawbridge, and they kind of dressed it with some dust so that when it slams against the fortified wall, there's a big puff of smoke, of dust," he says. "And I'm charging off the drawbridge and jumping over the wall, and I slip,. I literally bounce off the drawbridge on my —ss and land splat in front of Paul's feet on the first take." And in true Pedro fashion, he followed up with, "Are you not entertained?"
"There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead," Paul adds, referencing a cut scene. "I was like, 'Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?' There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, 'I'm afraid I did.'"
Paramount Pictures
The first look at Paul Mescal's character Lucius featured our new lead ready for battle. When I first saw this picture, all I could think was "Wherever Paul leads, I'll follow."
Paramount Pictures
Keeping true to the characters the first film introduced, Gladiator 2 focused on Paul Mescal's Lucius. He was a gladiator who'd been exiled to fight — similar to Maxmius' fate — and hadn't seen his mother Lucila in over a decade.USA Todayoriginally reported there would be a nod to Maximus as young Lucius has great respect for the legacy he left behind.
Paramount Pictures
Gladiator 2 premiered in theaters November 22, 2024. Check out the rest of this year's fall movies to see what else debuted last year.
Paramount Pictures
The Gladiator 2 cast also featured Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, Lucius' mother, Fred Hechinger (from The White Lotus) as Co-Emperor Caracalla, Joseph Quinn (from Stranger Things Season 4) as Co-Emperor Geta, Pedro Pascal (from The Last of Us) as General Marcus Acacius, and Denzel Washington as the wealthy and powerful Macrinus, who oversaw the gladiators.
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This post has been updated.
It Ends With Us fans probably all remember where they were when news broke that Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's rumored feud from the movie set had evolved into a full-on legal battle. While the movie released in August 2024, news continues to release in 2025 about their ongoing lawsuits.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Fans first noticed something was off between the It Ends With Us cast (specifically Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni) when they realized Blake Lively, Brandon Skelnar, Jenny Slate, and Colleen Hoover don't follow Justin on Instagram. And when Justin didn't take any photos with the cast and his onscreen sister Jenny dodged a question about him? It only added fuel to the fire.
In a 2025 lawsuit (more on that later), Justin claimed that Blake “initially refused to permit his attendance.”
“The Wayfarer team and their families, including Baldoni and [producer Jamey] Heath, were segregated from the main cast, barred from the exclusive after-party, and forced to organize their own event at additional cost,” the lawsuit says. “Baldoni’s participation on the red carpet was cut short, and his family and friends were confined to a makeshift holding area in the basement before being escorted into a separate theater after Lively’s departure.”
Sony Pictures
The divide between Blake and Justin only appeared deeper when Blake started promoting the movie like a lighthearted rom-com, telling viewers to "grab your friends and wear your florals," while fans thought Justin took the movie's message of domestic violence awareness more seriously.
"This is a night for all the women who we made this movie for," he told ET during the premiere. "If a Lily Bloom in real life can sit in this theater and maybe make a different choice for herself than was made for her, maybe she sees herself on that screen and chooses something different for herself, that's why I made the movie."
The Hollywood Reporteralso revealed there might have been two different cuts of the movie, citing creative differences between Justin and Blake, while sources told Page Six Sony Pictures went with the "more feminine cut."
Sony Pictures Releasing
After THR suggested there were creative differences, source straight-up told The Daily Mail that Justin was "chauvinistic" and "borderline abusive" while the cast was filming.
Meanwhile, an It Ends With Us on-set source told Page Six that "the tension was so obvious.”
“Once [Blake] was done with the scene she was really impatient, said, ‘Am I done? Can I go?,’ and as soon as they said ‘yes,’ there was like a Blake-size hole in the wall...She was so outta there."
Blake Lively/Instagram
Blake Lively ended up sharing resources on August 13, offering ways her followers could get "immediate help."
"1 in 4 women aged 18 and older in the US alone have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime," she says in the Instagram story. "Intimate partner violence affects all genders, including more than 12 million people every year in the United States. Everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence.
Sony Pictures Releasing
By the middle of August, rumors were circulating that Justin Baldoni made Blake Lively feel uncomfortable in her postpartum body (she gave birth to baby Olin in February 2023; the movie started filming in May 2023), and that he asked an on-set trainer for her weight before he had to pick her up for a scene (although, Justin reportedly has back problems and didn't want to injure himself). Blake also reportedly felt like the actor & director lingered too long during a kissing scene.
Justin Baldoni later claimed Ryan Reynolds responded so "aggressively" that Justin "felt compelled to offer repeated apologies.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
Brandon Sklenar posted a statement to Instagram at the end of August, saying "Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves."
"What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film," he continues. "There isn't a single person involved in the making of this film that was not aware of the responsibility we had in making this...All I ask is that before you spread hate on the internet, ask yourself who it is helping."
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
After the internet seemingly turned on her overnight ahead of the movie's release, a source told Peoplethat Blake Lively was "pretty surprised at the backlash and drama," which "felt out of control to her."
"She initially felt very vulnerable and upset," the source continued. "During the promotion of the movie, not one day went by when she was not in the news in an unfavorable light. She's just not used to this kind of drama."
Sony Pictures Releasing
In an interview with the How to Fail podcast, Justin revealed just how difficult it was to decompress after playing a character like Ryle. "That was very hard and honestly, that took a few months," he says. "I had dreams as him for a while, and it lived in my body, but I think for the most part, he's out."
"I've done a lot of somatic therapy so there were times when I was actually just shaking," he continues. "There's a moment in the movie where Ryle finds Lily's phone and he finds a phone number and he's very jealous and he's heartbroken and he's angry and he doesn't harm her but you can see in his eyes how dangerous he is. After that scene, I had a near breakdown."
Sony Pictures Releasing
Blake Lively sent the internet into a tailspin when she published messages between Justin Baldoni, publicists, and legal team members in the New York Times, reporting they were behind a smear campaign against her.
Justin's lawyer Bryan Freedman told People the claims are "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt," to which Blake's legal team held firm that "this is not a ‘feud’ arising from ‘creative differences’ or a ‘he said/she said’ situation."
“Wayfarer [Studios] and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set," the statement continues. “Sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and in every industry. A classic tactic to distract from allegations of this type of misconduct is to ‘blame the victim’ by suggesting that they invited the conduct, brought it on themselves, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another classic tactic is to reverse the victim and offender, and suggest that the offender is actually the victim. These concepts normalize and trivialize allegations of serious misconduct."
An insider told People that Blake "still believes she's doing the right thing. She's ready to tackle whatever comes her way."
Sony Pictures Releasing
After Blake's accusations were published, Justin was then dropped by his agency, WME.
Shortly after, Liz Plank, a cohost on Justin's podcast Man Enough, left the show.
Cindy Ord & Lia Toby/Getty Images
After Blake Lively's NYT piece went live, Brandon shared a screenshot to his Instagram story, writing "For the love of god read this" as the article link text.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
Blake's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn, also showed support for the actress and posted a joint statement.
"As Blake's friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation," the statement reads. "Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice."
"Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding," they continue. "We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can still face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe work environment. We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others."
Sony Pictures Releasing
Ahead of the Christmas holiday, Stephanie Jones, Justin's former publicist, sued him, claiming that Justin, Jennifer Abel, and Melissa Nathan really did orchestrate a smear campaign without her knowing about it.
"Defendants Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, to breach multiple contracts and induce contractual breaches, and to steal clients and business prospects," Stephanie's complaint read. "Behind Jones' back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni's film costar, and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones — when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it."
Sony Pictures Releasing
After the new year, Bryan Freedman, Justin Baldoni's lawyer, told People, "It is painfully ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her own team orchestrated this vicious attack by sending The New York Times grossly edited documents prior to even filing the complaint."
"We are releasing all of the evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie," he continues. "None of this will come as a surprise because consistent with her past behavior Blake Lively used other people to communicate those threats and bully her way to get whatever she wanted. We have all the receipts and more."
Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV
Justin responded to the New York Times allegations with his own 179-page, $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist. And the lawsuit mentions Blake's BFF, Taylor Swift.
Justin claims he was invited to a meeting in Ryan and Blake's apartment with the couple and Taylor after he didn't enthusiastically accept Blake's rewrite of a scene. He says Blake described Taylor and Ryan in a subsequent text as "embarrassingly effusive" and her "most trusted partners." She allegedly wrote, "I think they wanted you and me to see how they felt about [the rewrites] because they've been by my side for far too many experiences where I've been overlooked."
Then, according to Justin, Blake texted, "If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you'll appreciate that I'm Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. you will too, I can promise you."
Courtesy of Bryan Freedman
Near the end of January, Justin's legal team released a behind-the-scenes video to "refute" Blake's claim. "The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism."
However, Blake's team disagrees, telling Page Six that "the video itself is damning” and that “the released footage corroborates” her original lawsuit.
“The video shows Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in toward Ms. Lively, attempting to kiss her, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face and mouth against her neck, flicking her lip with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and talking with her out of character,” the statement continues. “Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively’s co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Lively’s boss.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
After Justin's video was released, Blake Lively's legal team sought a gag order against Justin's lawyer Bryan Freedman. Justin's legal team told People that “Justin Baldoni and team has nothing to hide" and that they "have the right to defend themselves with the truth."
“This is what we will be continuing to show with the upcoming website containing all correspondence as well as relevant videos that quash her claims.”
Cindy Ord/Getty Images/Sony Pictures Releasing
Amid the ongoing legal battle surrounding It Ends With Us, the book's author Colleen Hoover deactivated her Instagram account.
"Colleen Hoover deactivated her IG after [Justin's video] came out now idk what the hell that’s supposed to mean," one X user tweeted.
Check Brit + Co for the latest update on Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's feud.
There are few things in our daily lives as horrifying as a first date with a stranger. Usually, the best case scenario is you show up to an agreed meeting place, hit it off, want to go out again, and maybe even fall in love. That is, assuming you're not getting catfished and they're not a crazy person. Well, in Meghann Fahy's new thriller, she finds herself on the perfect first date that takes a turn for the terrifying when an anonymous stranger starts tormenting her...and then instructs her to kill her date. Now the question remains: will she follow through, or will this would-be couple make it to dessert?
The first thing I have to call out about The Drop trailer is that Brandon Sklenar just keeps getting cuter. How is this possible?! He and Meghann Fahy have chemistry the moment he steps onscreen which makes this whole movie concept — you know, that Meghann's character is told she has to kill him — even more intriguing. And Sabrina Carpenter playing in the background? An inspired choice.
I want to believe that both Violet and Henry make it out of the story alive...but things aren't looking too hopeful for either of them.
HBO
In Drop, widowed mother Violet (Meghann Fahy) is literally so relieved when her date with Henry goes well. He's handsome and charismatic, and she's enjoying their time together — until an unknown number starts dropping anonymous instructions to her phone. Now, Violet has to play it cool while following her new contact's instructions or her kids will pay the price. There's just one problem: the final instruction is to kill Henry.
Drop hits theaters April 11, 2025. The Blumhouse film is from Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky), is written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, and is produced by Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Cameron Fuller. The movie's also executive produced by Sam Lerner.
HBO
The cast of Drop includes Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, and Travis Nelson.
Blumhouse/Universal Pictures
The poster for Drop definitely gets my adrenaline pumping — and I love Meghann Fahy's glam eyeshadow & manicure paired with the terror in her eyes. Because, duh, of course this Emmy-nominted actress can act with her eyes like nobody's business. And the bold red of the graphic design? Chef's kiss.
Check out 10 New Terrifying Fall Thrillers to watch this season!
This post has been updated.
I thought I was doing a great job of managing my anxiety... until the end of last year. It's not that I didn't have tools from therapy to calm myself down; it's more or less I wasn't in the right frame of mind to access them. The day after a panic attack, I spoke my with therapist about everything that was going on, and she asked me one of the deepest questions that I think saved my life: "Why do you think you have to control everything and everyone?"
Sensing my confusion, she decided to surprise me with this response, "You think planning for every contingency and working to prove you can juggle motherhood with everything else in your life makes you responsible. But they don't. All you're doing is sending your anxiety into overdrive." Jaw. On. The. Floor.
From my therapist to people in family who've been vocal about having 'bad nerves,' there's phrases I've learned from them that I like to repeat — like a mantra — whenever I'm rattled about something. Hopefully they help you too!
Anxiety can feel like being stuck in a hot air balloon that keeps rising higher and higher. I could say it's merely 'fight or flight,' but it doesn't feel like the kind of travel anyone willing cancel plans for.
To combat the feeling of being held prisoner by it, saying something like "All I can control right now are my thoughts and breathing" is one of the easiest phrases I can remember. I repeat it as many times as I need to before I feel myself getting calmer.
Have you ever been scrolling on social media when you've felt your chest get tight while your mind is racing. Yeah, I've done it too. It's likely we're reading too many negative comments, coming across gloomy news, or feel jealous that our doesn't look like that one influencer we follow.
That's our cue to log off and tell ourselves, "I am calm, I am safe, I have everything that I need" because it's true.
Choosing not to let anxiety win isn't about ignoring how we feel. Our emotions are always valid, but we have to ask ourselves if we're willing to let them be the reason we do or say certain things.
If you ever have a moment where you feel you're about to say something harsh because of anxiety, remind yourself: "This moment will pass, it's just a feeling." If I don't say this to myself, someone in my inner circle will bring it up which usually catches my attention.
It's extremely rare that any of us is being chased by a lion, tiger or bear, but anxiety probably tricks our mind into responding like we are. It's one of the greatest lies it believes so this silly, yet impactful phrase can help us relax our shoulders.
I hold tension in your upper shoulders and back when anxious so I like to say this phrase to remind myself there's no reason to lash out in 'fear' at whoever's in my vicinity.
I know the person in Target who skipped you in life keeps turning around and staring you down for no reason at all. Before you flick them off, remember that you don't even know who they are. This is probably the first time you've seen them and it'll be the last.
I personally had an experience where an elderly couple saw me standing in line at an Xfinity store with my son and decided to get in front of me because their issue was 'urgent.' When it was my turn, I let the customer service rep know I had an appointment and he immediately went to get someone to help me. To my amusement, the couple looked flabbergasted that they had to wait and I didn't even after skipping me.
That served as a reminder to remain calm even when people are being annoying and my anxiety wants to go off on them.
Getting anxiety because our bodies don't look the same as it did a few years ago is a sure way to let anxiety plague us with thoughts of what we should be doing. Instead of berating and cursing ourselves, remember that our bodies are keeping us safe. It doesn't matter if we think we need to eat healthier or not. In any given moment, our body is functioning the way it needs to so we can get through our day.
Besides healthy habits can't bloom if we're being negative!
Life's not easy, but it doesn't mean we're destined to face hardships forever. There are ups and downs that not only teach lessons, but they also build character if we're willing to appreciate them.
Even if we could care less about both things, trust that we've made it through multiple hard moments and will be able to get through this one, eventually.
Take a break from the rat race and breathe. People with anxiety are always thinking about all the things we want to accomplish and what we're missing out on, but rarely do we remember we don't have to rush to achieve success on our terms.
We deserve better than that so remember to say, "I don't have to rush my way through life today or any other time," when you're struggling.
Remember when Joy discovered Anxiety wasn't a bad emotion in Inside Out 2? That's a real connection that we can acknowledge because our anxiety doesn't want to hurt us. When it's hyperactive, it's doing whatever it can to keep us safe from potential bad scenarios.
Tell yourself, "My anxiety isn't the enemy. It wants to keep safe, but needs a little help," whenever you're sure that you hate it.
Grounding ourselves has nothing to do with being in timeout. It's a means of getting connected with the present so that we're not living in our heads. Since overthinking can cause anxiety to spike, this saying is a reminder to come back to earth via meditation or walking barefoot outside for a few minutes.
This is more of a question rather than a phrase, but it's still true. Since anxiety can believe the lie that we're in grave danger even when we're not, it helps to ask ourselves about the what's true in the current moment.
Let's say you've been in life for a little over 5 minutes and are starting to sweat because you think the person behind you thinks you're the reason the line is moving slowly. Ask yourself how many people are in front of you and if it's logical to take the blame for the line's snail pace. 9 time out of 10 your answer will debunk whatever your anxiety was telling you!
If you've mastered the art of saying phrases that calm you down, it doesn't hurt to repeat one more! Saying, "My anxious thoughts are allowed to exit my mind with every exhale" is another way to keep yourself calm when you're repeating things that aren't in the sound of your voice.
Taking deep breaths always calms me down in addition to repeating this phrase so I have it written in my phone, planner and journal.
We have more self-care tips onsite if you're need of a wellness or mental health boost!
These days, there’s two very likely outcomes you’re facing when you pull up to your go-to grocery store: the egg section is either completely empty or the options for eggs are severely limited. The options that are available will unfortunately cost you an arm and a leg – I saw dozens going for a whopping $10 at Whole Foods this week, but it’s apparently “not unheard of” for a dozen eggs to run as high as $12.
tf is this shit at my grocery store? egg shortage? for real? pic.twitter.com/2Jri48UQv7
— Chaos In Roswell (@ChaosInRoswell) January 22, 2025
There’s a massive shortage of eggs because of avian influenza – AKA bird flu. It wiped out roughly 10% of commercial poultry in the last three months alone, contributing to a notable loss in egg production and sales. Bird flu first appeared in January 2022 and has since affected 136 million birds.
Leeloo The First / PEXELS
Eggs are so expensive right now because bird flu has significantly and suddenly decreased the supply of eggs, which is not large enough to meet the needs of consumers. Grocers are now paying around $7 for a dozen eggs, and for the sake of profiting, have adjusted their egg prices to be higher.
General inflation has also contributed to higher prices for eggs. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price per dozen of Grade A eggs in December 2023 was $2.51. In December 2024 it was $3.65, noting a 45% increase over the previous year.
Nadin Sh / PEXELS
Bird flu cases continue to rise, so it’s not very likely that egg prices will go down any time soon. In fact, it’s more likely they’ll continue to get more expensive. Because of this, you may continue to see no eggs or a limited supply of them at the grocery store.
Many stores have also begun to enforce limits on their eggs to one carton per customer per trip.
Mart Production / PEXELS
Nothing can really replace a good ol’ egg, but there are several alternatives you can test out for yourself to fill in the gaps if you can’t get your hands on a dozen. For baking projects like cookies and cakes, flax eggs – made with ground flaxseed and water – or applesauce are common substitutes that result in a similar, egg-like texture. If you’re craving a traditional scrambled egg, you may give tofu scramble or vegan egg alternatives like Just Egg a go.
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