Add Russell Crowe to the list of people who did not like Gladiator II. Crowe, who won an Oscar for portraying Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator, recently spoke about what went wrong with Ridley Scott‘s legacy sequel.
What did Russell Crowe say about Gladiator II?
During an interview with Triple J, Crowe revealed his disdain for Gladiator II. Crowe believes that the sequel failed to capture the essence of what made the first movie great.
“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,” Crowe said. “It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”
Crowe’s biggest gripe in Gladiator II was Lucius, whom they portrayed as Maximus’s illegitimate son. Crowe recalls how protective he was of Maximus during the filming of Gladiator, refusing to tarnish his character with sex scenes. Crowe is confused as to why Maximus, a man who prides himself on honoring his wife, would have sexual relations with another woman.
“The thing is, there was a daily fight on that set. It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character,” Crowe explained. “The amount of times they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus. It’s like you’re taking away his power. So you’re saying at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was f—ing this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy.”
Released in November 2024, Gladiator II failed to reach the heights of its predecessor. Starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, Gladiator II received mixed reviews and ended its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of $462 million. Meanwhile, Gladiator was the second-highest-grossing movie of 2000 and won five Oscars, including Best Picture.