“He’s dead!” : Why didn’t Ridley Scott talk about Gladiator 2 with Russell Crowe?

Asked several times about Gladiator 2, Russell Crowe, General Maximus’ legendary translator-turned-Gladiator, doesn’t hide his annoyance. In July 2023, he even told reporters at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival “They have to pay me for the number of questions they ask me about a movie I’m not even in“.

Speaking on the RTE radio show, the New Zealand comedian added: “It has nothing to do with me. In this world I am dead. under six feet. But I admit I’m a little jealous because it reminds me of my youth and what it meant to my life. Dressing up in costume and being part of a historical film is always very appealing to me. So yeah, I’m a little jealous of those who get to live the experiences I had before.”

Ridley Scott did not consult Russell Crowe

Today it’s Ridley Scott, the 5-Oscar-winning director of the film, who talks about the story. Gladiator 2 And on Russell Crowe in the magazine Empire.

The filmmaker explains:The story, frankly, was right under our noses. I think Crowe is still one of the best actors in the world and I think we have a good relationship. I hope so. Until he starts complaining about not being consulted. Why would I do that? He’s dead!”

Why would I do that? He’s dead!”

That’s why Russell Crowe shouldn’t appear in the sequel to the movie that won him an Oscar for Best Actor, and it makes sense that his character dies at the end of the movie.

What is Gladiator 2 about?

After the deaths of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and Maximus, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) sends her son Lucius (played by a young Spencer Trait Clarke) far from Rome to a region in North Africa. The now grown-up Lucius – played by Paul Mescal – is forced into the Colosseum when his country is overrun by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome with an iron fist. With rage at heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find the strength and honor to restore Rome to its people.

Scheduled to hit our theaters on November 13th, Gladiator II stars Paul Meskal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz and Derek Jacobi.