Russell Crowe Shares His Opinion On 'Gladiator 2'
Image Source: Animated Times
Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius was written into the annals of 21st-century cinematic history, but the actor isn't fond of what became of Maximus's legacy in the movie's sequel. Crowe shared his unfiltered opinion on Gladiator 2, which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. The Oscar winner said that “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.”
In the original film, Crowe’s character, Maximus, is a Roman General whose wife and son were raped and murdered on the orders of Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Maximus’s only motivation in life is his desire for revenge from Commodus, which he achieves, but at the cost of his life. The film also features the vague romantic relationship between Lucilla and Maximus, and even shows a kiss between them. On screen at least, it never went beyond a kiss. However, the sequel reveals that Lucilla’s son, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, was actually fathered by Maximus.
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Image Source: POPVIEWERS
Crowe believes this twist in the tale went against Maximus’s moral code. The Gladiator star revealed, “There was a daily fight on that set. It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character. 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*cking this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy.” Leading up to Gladiator 2’s release, Crowe revealed in different interviews that filmmaker Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal never consulted him during the making of the film, but that “They should be fucking paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in.”
Crowe’s opinions have been echoed by fans of the original film, but that hasn’t deterred Ridley Scott, who already has plans for another Gladiator movie starring Paul Mescal. Mescal is a popular actor in his own right, but his performance in Gladiator 2 didn’t give him the same level of praise as Russell Crowe’s intense, emotional, and Academy Award-winning performance in the original blockbuster.
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Sources: Variety, triple_j, Animated Times, POPVIEWERS
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