Russell Crowe says he is “slightly jealous” of ‘Gladiator’ sequel
Ridley Scott has been working on a sequel to his 2000 historical action film Gladiator, but Russell Crowe – who starred in the original and won an Academy Award – does not have a part in it. Now, Crowe has opened up on missing out on the new film and admitted that he feels “slightly jealous”.
Crowe told Collider: “I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my 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 continued: “Here it is, it’s 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don’t always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart.”
David Scarpa is writing the screenplay for the new film, with Scott directing. Paul Mescal will play Lucius, the son of Lucilla and the nephew of Commodus. Barry Keoghan is also said to be in talks with the film’s producers to take on an antagonist role.
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