Gladiator star Russell Crowe insists he knew nothing about Gladiator 2.
Appearance at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (as reported diverse), Crowe complained that people keep asking him about the sequel, even though he’s not in it.
He said, “They should be royalty paying me for the amount of questions being asked about a movie I wasn’t in.” “He has nothing to do with me. In this world, I’m dead. Six feet under.”
At the end of Gladiator, it’s pretty final: Maximus Decimus Meridius is dead. Crowe’s character succumbs to his injuries after a fight to the death in the Colosseum between him and Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. And while it’s a fitting ending for the tragic character, Crowe admits he’s jealous of those who will be working with Scott on the upcoming sequel.
“I admit to being a bit jealous,” he said, “because it reminds me of when I was younger and what that meant to me in my life.” However, Crowe confirmed that he had no idea who would be in the movie.
“I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot,” he insisted. “I’m dead! But I know that if Ridley had decided to do a sequel to the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything but amazing.”
Gladiator 2 will reportedly star Paul Mescal, and while Barry Keoghan was slated to play the real-life Emperor Geta, it appears he will be replaced by Fred Hechinger due to scheduling issues.
Gladiator 2 heads to theaters November 22, 2024.
IGN’s Gladiator review gave it a 7/10 and said: “Gladiator has a lot to offer. Oliver Reed is charismatic as Proximo. Richard Harris is quite convincing as Marcus Aurelius, the dying Roman emperor who guilts Maximus into doing the right thing. Russell Crowe as Maximus, well, Russell Crowe – He always carries with him an unconventional blend of weight, strength and quiet dignity that makes him one of cinema’s most captivating performances on screen.”
Want to read more about Gladiator 2? Find out who else is involved in negotiations for a Gladiator sequel as well as a Gladiator 2 stunt that left several crew members injured.
Ryan Liston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow it Twitter.
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