Gladiator star Russell Crowe insists he knows nothing about Gladiator 2.
Appearing at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (as reported by Variety), Crowe complained that people keep asking him about the sequel, even though he isn't in it.
“They should be f**king paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in,” he said. “It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under.”
At the end of Gladiator, it’s pretty definitive: Maximus Decimus Meridius is dead. Crowe’s character succumbs to his wounds following a fight to the death in the Colosseum between himself and Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. And while it’s a fitting end for the tragic character, Crowe admits he’s jealous of those who will work with Scott on the upcoming sequel.
“I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life,” he said. However, Crowe asserted he has no idea who will be in the movie.
“I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot,” he insisted. “I am dead! But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular.”
Gladiator 2 will reportedly star Paul Mescal, and while Barry Keoghan was due to take the role of real-life Emperor Geta, it looks as though he will be replaced by Fred Hechinger due to scheduling issues.
Gladiator 2 heads to theaters on November 22, 2024.
IGN’s Gladiator review gave it 7/10 and said: “Gladiator has much to offer. Oliver Reed is charismatic as Proximo. Richard Harris is utterly compelling as Marcus Aurelius, the dying Roman Emperor who guilts Maximus into doing the right thing. Russell Crowe as Maximus is, well, Russell Crowe -- always carrying with him a funky combination of weight, intensity, and quiet dignity which makes him one of cinema's most engaging on-screen presences.”
Want to read more about Gladiator 2? Check out who else is in negotiations for the Gladiator sequel as well as the Gladiator 2 stunt that left several crew members injured.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/russell-crowe-really-doesnt-know-anything-about-gladiator-2