Russell Crowe Reveals What He Really Thinks Of Gladiator Getting A Sequel
Russell Crowe has opened up about how he feels about the hit film Gladiator getting a sequel.
The New Zealand-born, Australian actor took the lead in Ridley Scott’s 2000 historical epic about a general who is sold into slavery to be trained as a fighter.
It’s since gone on to become his career-defining role, earning him a Best Actor Oscar win back in 2001.
With a sequel starring Paul Mescal from the Prometheus director due out on 15 November, Russell has admitted he has mixed thoughts on the project.
“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,” he said while appearing on the Kyle Meredith With... podcast.
“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.”
Along with Normal People star Paul playing Lucius, the film will feature Connie Nielsen returning as Lucilla, with Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn, The Last Of Us’ Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and more all joining the cast.
Elsewhere in his podcast interview, Russell looked back fondly about what the film meant to him, sharing: “I reflect back: the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it, the doors that particular movie opened for me.
“This is just me being purely honest: there’s definitely a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy. I remember when I had tendons.”
In contrast, the Nice Guys actor recently offered a very blunt response about the relentless questioning he’s gone through about the new film.
“They should be fucking paying me for the amount of questions I get asked about the fucking film that I am not even in,” he said (via The Hollywood Reporter) at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic.
Gladiator II will revolve around a grown-up Lucius 15 years after the events of the first film.
While we don’t know much about the plot just yet, we do know that one intriguing scene features Paul fighting off a pack of baboons.
