Kalshi co-founder and CEO Tarek Mansour recently reacted to the FBI's raid on Polymarket and shared insights about election betting on "The Claman Countdown". In the world of cinema, "Gladiator II" is making waves as it prepares to hit theaters in the U.S. on Friday. Traders are closely watching its box office potential and its reception among viewers.

Box Office Bets on "Gladiator II"

The new "Gladiator" sequel held its world premiere in Australia on Oct. 30 and was released in the U.K. last week. Offshore prediction platform PolyMarket traders gave it a 38% chance of hitting $60 - $67 million in sales during its opening weekend. If it reaches $65 million domestically, it would be the biggest opening for an R-Rated film in November. Polymarket traders also see a 22% chance of it landing between $67 - $75 million over the next three days and a 10% chance of it grossing less than $53 million.

Viewing the step-and-repeat during the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 18, 2024, in Hollywood, California, showcases the excitement surrounding the film. It's clear that audiences are eager to see how this sequel will perform.

Over on U.S.-based betting market Kalshi, traders are speculating on its performance on movie and TV review site Rotten Tomatoes based on its "Tomatometer" score. As of Thursday evening, it had a score of 72%. Traders saw a 91% chance it would retain a score above 70% by Monday and a 44% chance it would climb higher than 72%. There was only a 10% chance it would top 75% and be designated as "Certified Fresh".

Star Power and Past Success

"Gladiator II" stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger. The original "Gladiator", starring Russell Crowe, earned 12 Oscar nominations and took home 5, including best picture and best actor for Crowe. Both films were directed by Ridley Scott, adding to the anticipation.

The popularity of these movies is evident, with people eager to forecast their success. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour emphasized the significance of these markets, stating that "people love to forecast the success of a movie, and it looks like the new gladiator is gonna be incredibly successful, and people are betting on its success."

As "Gladiator II" approaches its release, the betting and speculation continue, adding an extra layer of excitement to the film's journey.