Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator 2” is slowly taking shape and the list of possible new casting additions is growing: in addition to Paul Mescal, who will star in Ridley Scott’s historical action movie, “Marvel” star Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington (“Flight”) in talks for roles in the sequel to the 2000 smash hit. However, one person is missing: Russell Crowe.
While it makes sense that the Oscar winner won’t be seen again in part 2 – fans of the original movie know why – it seems that Crowe has mixed feelings about the development and production of a second part.
Jealous of the experience
As part of a Job interviews to the horror movie “The Pope’s Exorcist” the star was also asked about “Gladiator 2”. This also prompted Russell Crowe to share a bit about his relationship with the film and his thoughts on the sequel:
“All I feel about it is a little jealousy […]. I was a lot younger then and it was a great experience in my life. It was something that changed my life. It changed the way people see me and what I do for a living, and I’ve been lucky enough to be in a lot of big movies, but this movie had an incredible impact. It is now 2023 and we shot the movie in 1999. And yet I guarantee “Gladiator” will be on prime time TV somewhere in the world tonight. And that kind of longevity doesn’t always come with every movie. He clearly has a special place in my heart.”
Then “Gladiator 2” begins.
Russell Crowe has previously announced that he will not be a part of the sequel, but is in talks with director Ridley Scott about the film’s plot. The statements also do not indicate a rejection of the “Gladiator” star towards the sequel, rather, it seems that Crowe is a little wistfulprecisely because the first part was such an important part of his own career.
On November 22, 2024, “Gladiator 2” is scheduled to hit US cinemas. It is not yet known when fans of historical action deposits and breakneck chariot races in Germany will be able to enjoy the sequel.