Russell Crowe Jealous He’s Being Left Out Of Sequel To His Best Movie
Russell Crowe is jealous he won't be in Gladiator 2.
Veteran actor Russell Crowe has admitted to being a bit jealous that he won’t have an appearance in the upcoming Gladiator sequel, according to a write-up in People. Gladiator 2, which is set to star Normal People‘s Paul Mescal, is in the works at Paramount, with Ridley Scott attached to direct. A host of other casting rumors have been speculated, including a possible Denzel Washington appearance, though Russell Crowe has yet to be asked to appear in the film, which is expected to hit theaters in November of 2024.
Gladiator 2 has been in consideration for nearly two decades, with Ridley Scott stating he’d like to revisit the epic Colosseum shortly after the original hit the theaters back in 2000. The action-adventure epic starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius alongside a host of A-list stars, including Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, and Djimon Hounsou. With Ridley Scott returning to the director chair, alongside a host of the original film’s crew, it looks like the whole Gladiator family is back together, save for the star of the film.
The 2000 original Gladiator centers on Russell Crowe’s General Meridius, who must face a series of intense trials in 180 AD. Battling against a corrupt Roman ruler, Meridius is taken as a slave and forced into the battle pits of the Colosseum, engaging in increasingly absurd feats of combat in order to clear his name and retake his rightful seat as the Roman leader. The film has long been labeled a classic, with Russell Crowe’s performance noted as a career-high.
Crowe explained in his profile with People that the production of Gladiator was a huge moment in his life, marking a time in his career when he was young and powerful, allowing him to play such intense and physically demanding roles. Of course, Crowe has gone on to several huge career successes, including leading roles in films such as Les Miserables, Robin Hood, Noah, and the Shane Black comedy-mystery The Nice Guys, alongside Ryan Gosling.
Despite his self-proclaimed jealousy over the production of Gladiator 2, Russell Crowe is still an incredibly in-demand performer, with over eight projects in various stages of active development, according to IMDb. These projects include major placements in films such as Sleeping Dogs, Rothko, Land of Bad, and Sony Picture’s Kraven The Hunter. Crowe is also set to appear in a pair of upcoming episodes of ARK: The Animated Series, based on the hit video game ARK: Survival Evolved.
With so many projects on his schedule, perhaps Russell Crowe wouldn’t even have time for an appearance in Gladiator 2, even if Ridley Scott had specifically called for one. Of course, Crowe’s character perished during the runtime of the original film, meaning a reprisal is off the table, but the character could still have feasibly returned via flashbacks or dream sequences. For now, details on the upcoming production are a bit murky, though news and updates continue to trickle through the rumor mill daily.
