Gladiator 2 ~ Russell Crowe, who won an Oscar for his role as Maximus in Gladiator, commented on the upcoming sequel. It is known that his hero will not appear in the film. Its action takes place after the events presented in the original, and there are no plans for flashbacks in which Maximus could return. Crowe confessed that he is “a little jealous”.
Russell Crowe on “Gladiator 2”
Look, the only thing I feel about this movie is a little bit of envy,” he said. [When we were working on Gladiator], I was much younger and it was a great experience for me. It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people perceived me and my work, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky to be involved in a lot of big movies, but how successful we’ve been, it’s amazing.
The actor also admitted that “Gladiator” holds a special place in his heart.
Now it’s 2023, and we made our movie in 1999. I guarantee you that somewhere in the world “Gladiator” will be airing in prime time today. And because not every film can boast such vitality, it holds a special place in my heart.
Gladiator 2 will again be directed by Ridley Scott, who will also produce the film with Michael Pruss, Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher. The latest version of the script was written by David Scarpa, who also wrote this year’s “Napoleon” and “All the Money in the World” for Scott.
Paul Mescal, nominated for an Oscar this year for his performance in “Aftersun”, will play the main role in “Gladiator 2”. He played the role of Lucius, the grandson of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and the nephew of the evil Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). In the finale of the first film, played by Russell Crowe, General Maximus saved the hero from death, while taking revenge on the killers of his family.
The Roman general Maximus, sentenced to death by a pretender to the throne of the empire, miraculously escapes with his life from a trap set for him. Captured by a slave trader, subjected to murderous training, he becomes a gladiator. Thanks to his extraordinary skills, he returns to Rome, to the arena of the Colosseum, where he quickly gains a chance for revenge.