Russell Crowe recently admitted he’s “slightly jealous” of the upcoming “Gladiator” sequel. The original film, released in 2000, earned 12 Oscar nominations, winning five including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.
The sequel, produced by Ridley Scott and starring Paul Mescal, is set to explore the story of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) from the original movie. Lucius witnessed Crowe’s character Maximus die in the gladiator ring and is set to seek revenge on his uncle Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
Crowe, who starred in the original, told Collider that the long-lasting success of the film has had an incredible effect on his career and his life.
“It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible,” he said.
The actor added that he trusts Scott to create something of the same level of spectacle as the first movie, but noted that he didn’t know much about the plot for the sequel.
In 2020, Crowe said he wasn’t sure he deserved the best actor Oscar for the role after re-watching the movie recently. He told the Australian show “Today,” “I watched that movie, and it is a director’s film. It was one of those moments of, ‘Why did I get all the attention when the Academy Award belongs to Ridley Scott?'”
Scott has been nominated for four best director Oscars over his career but has not taken home the statue.
The upcoming sequel will be the first major “Gladiator” film since the original in 2000 and will explore the story of Lucius. Paul Mescal, who earned an Oscar nomination this year for “Aftersun,” and gained attention for the series “Normal People” on Hulu, will be playing the character.
The fate of the sequel remains to be seen, but with Ridley Scott at the helm and Paul Mescal in the lead role, the film could be poised to make its mark in Hollywood.
Russell Crowe ‘jealous’ of Gladiator sequel#RussellCrowe #Gladiator #SirRidleyScott #PaulMescal #BarryKeoghan #DenzelWashington #Collider #TheRyanTubridyShow #MovieNews pic.twitter.com/YkvenfaXT7
— BANG Showbiz (@BANGShowbiz) April 11, 2023