What did Russell Crowe think of Gladiator II? Was he not entertained?
An unnecessary sequel?
Throughout the announcement and marketing of Gladiator II, many fans of the original were quick to exclaim how unnecessary it is for Ridley Scott to add a new chapter to a film that definitively ended with the death of Maximus Decimus Meridius. Prior to the sequel’s release, the star of the original, Russell Crowe, voiced his discomfort with its production. He explained, “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. 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.” It’s been a year since Gladiator II was released, so what was his verdict on it?
Was he entertained?
According to a new video posted on the Instagram account, triple_j, Crowe addresses how the sequel tried to have its cake and eat it too by having Maximus be the father of Lucious, played by Paul Mescal in this entry. Crowe illustrates how they robbed his character of some morality,
I think the recent sequel that…you know, we don’t have to name out loud, is a really unfortunate example of even the people in that engine room not actually understanding what made the first one special. It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core. And the thing is, there was a daily fight on that set. It was a daily fight to keep the moral core of that character. The amount of times they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus, it’s like you’re taking away his power. What are you talking about? So, you’re saying at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was f*cking this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy. The women in Europe, when that movie started coming out, I would be at, you know, restaurants and they’d come talk to me and go, ‘What’s going on?’ It’s like, ‘Hey, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!’ You know?”
Not the end of the franchise
Despite many not seeing the need for a second film, Ridley Scott isn’t even planning on stopping at just two. The director has said that he has intentions on making a third entry and won’t wait nearly as long to make it. Scott has previously said that he is taking inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather saga, particularly as it relates to the central character’s arc, as he moves ahead with Gladiator III. As he told The Hollywood Reporter, “There’s already an idea. I always had this idea that The Godfather ends with Michael not wanting the job. He sits there, and there’s this push-in on Al. He’s already had his hand kissed. He’s betrayed his wife with lies. [Lucius] isn’t quite that evil at all. He’s wondering, ‘Father, what do I do?’ Paul not wanting the job is a good place to start.” For his part, Paul Mescal – who plays Lucius, son to murdered father Maximus – has said he is “massively down” for a Gladiator III. During an interview with The Guardian, Scott was asked if there will be a Gladiator III, and he answered, “Gladiator is in process right now.“
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