During a recent appearance on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast, Russell Crowe explained why he isn’t satisfied with the ‘Gladiator’ sequel.
The actor shared his thoughts on the upcoming film, coming to theaters later this year:
“I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done. But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like — no, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like.”
Crowe’s Previous Statements On The Sequel
Crowe starred in the 2000 film but isn’t in the sequel because his character died. The actor also reflected on his experience making the original ‘Gladiator’ and admitted feeling a bit sad. Crowe previously shared in a 2023 interview with Collider that he felt a bit jealous about not being in ‘Gladiator 2’:
“The only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life. It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible.”
Crowe also said ‘Gladiator’ is special to him because it has lasting popularity, which not all films do. The sequel happens years after the original, with Paul Mescal playing Lucius, a character originally portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in 2000. Lucius is the son of Lucilla and the nephew of Commodus.
Besides Mescal, the cast also features Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi. The film was announced in 2018. Mescal was cast as the lead in January 2023, with David Scarpa writing the script. Filming happened from June 2023 to January 2024. ‘Gladiator 2’ will be released in the U.S. on November 22, 2024.
