Russell Crowe has given his thoughts on the upcoming Gladiator 2 film, the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster that made him a global superstar.
The 60-year-old won an Academy Award for his role in the original Gladiator, which first hit screens in 2000 and earned almost half a billion dollars at the box office.
The well-known, outspoken New Zealand fan favorite admits he feels ‘uneasy’ about the new film, which he says he ‘had no say in’.
He made the comments during an interview on the Kyle Meredith with…podcast on Monday.
As fans will recall, the film starred Crowe as Roman general Maximus, who is enslaved and becomes a famous gladiator before tragically dying.
Russell Crowe has given his thoughts on the upcoming Gladiator 2 film, the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster that made him a global superstar. Pictured
The 60-year-old won an Academy Award for his role in the original Gladiator, which first hit screens in 2000 and earned almost half a billion dollars at the box office. Pictured: Crowe as Maximus in a scene from the original film
“I’m a little uncomfortable with the fact that they’re making another one because of course I’m ‘dead’ and I have no say in what happens,” Russell joked during the interview.
He also hinted that he doesn’t fully support certain story aspects of the new film that have been leaked, even though the film is directed by 86-year-old Ridley Scott, who made the original Gladiator.
“But some of the things I’ve heard, I’m like, ‘No, no, no, that doesn’t fit into the moral journey of that particular character,’” the Beautiful Mind actor said.
‘But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m ‘two meters underground’. So we’ll see what that’s like.’
He confirmed on British radio last month that he was not working on the sequel starring Irish actor Paul Mescal, 28.
“I’m sure they’ll want to ask me about something at some point, but they haven’t brought it up for a while,” Crowe said during an appearance on Virgin Radio UK’s Ryan Turbridy Show.
The sequel stars Irish actor Paul Mescal, 28, who plays Lucius Verus. In the original film, the character was seen as a young boy who idolized Crowe’s gladiator
“It’s an extension of the story, but it goes way beyond Maximus’ death, so I’m not really involved at all,” he explained.
Crowe added that he heard “that young guy Paul is a good guy and I wish him the best of luck with it.”
“I think where they get the story from is a young Lucius, stepping into the role of Emperor. I think that’s a really smart idea within the world of the film we made,” Crowe said.
In the new film, Mescal takes over the role of Lucius Verus (Spencer Treat Clark), the adult cousin of the late Roman Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) who idolized the late general-turned-slave-turned-gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius. Russel Crowe).
Derek Jacobi returns as Senator Gracchus and Connie Nielsen is back as Lucius’ mother Lucilla, who gifts him Maximus’ ring in the film set in 200 BCE.
Denzel Washington is also in the cast of the new film.
Ridley Scott’s original Gladiator grossed $465.4 million worldwide and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Gladiator 2 is scheduled for release in Australia on November 22, 2024.
