Russell Crowe is not a fan of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II. Crowe, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Maximus in Gladiator, weighed in on the 2024 sequel in an interview with Triple J "I think the recent sequel that 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 later went on to expand upon the movie's controversial decision to reveal that Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) in the first film and played by Paul Mescal in the sequel, was later revealed to be Maximus' illegitimate son. Crowe said he found out this plot detail from other people when he was approached by women getting angry at him for the actions of his character. He said:
"The women in Europe, when that movie started coming out, I would be at restaurants, they would come and talk to me, and go, 'Hey, what's going on [with Maximus]?' It's like, 'Hey, it wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
The Impact of 'Gladiator II' Compared to 'Gladiator'
Gladiator marked the first of five feature film collaborations between Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott. Crowe would later appear in 2006's A Good Year, 2007's American Gangster, 2008's Body of Lies, and finally 2010's Robin Hood. Crowe and Scott have not worked together in fifteen years, and the actor did not reprise his role as Maximus for Gladiator II, despite initial plans for a cameo. Maximus does appear in Gladiator II, but using archived footage from Gladiator.
Gladiator II starred Paul Mescal as Lucian, positioned as the new lead. The movie also starred Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger. The only actors to reprise their roles in Gladiator II from the original film were Diane Nielsen and Derek Jacobi. Gladiator II opened in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024, and, alongside Wicked and Moana 2, boosted the Thanksgiving box office to record numbers.
By the end of its run, Gladiator II grossed $172 million domestically and $462 million worldwide. This was nearly identical to what Gladiator grossed back in 2000, with a $187 million domestic and $465 million worldwide total, unadjusted for inflation. However, Gladiator II didn't seem to carry the same cultural impact that Gladiator did. The sequel failed to score a Best Picture nomination like its predecessor, which actually won the top prize at the 73rd Academy Awards.
