Here's Why Gladiator 2 Didn't Work, According To Russell Crowe

Well, we now know of one high-profile person who was very much not entertained, at least. Ridley Scott's long-awaited legacy sequel "Gladiator II" sort of came and went last year. It was mostly saved by a scene-stealing Denzel Washington, but otherwise, Scott's film earned a muted reception from critics and audiences alike — a stark difference from its own obvious awards ambitions and its predecessor's sterling showing at the Oscars in 2001. We can count "Gladiator" leading man Russell Crowe among those who came away somewhat less than impressed, apparently, as the star is finally opening up about his thoughts on exactly what he felt went wrong.

Although he died at the end of Scott's original 2000 movie, Crowe's Maximus came surprisingly close to appearing in "Gladiator II" before the idea was ultimately rejected. So, that may, in part, explain why the Oscar-winning Crowe isn't pulling any punches when it comes to the follow-up film. In an interview with the Australian radio program Triple J (via The Playlist), Crowe bluntly stated his criticisms of "Gladiator II" without ever actually naming the movie — though it's not exactly subtle, of course. As it turns out, his issues weren't necessarily with the sequel's technical aspects or screenplay, but something much more specific (and personal) than that. I'll let him take it away from here:

"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. It wasn't the pomp. It wasn't the circumstance. It wasn't the action. It was the moral core."

Russell Crowe has famously had a complex relationship with his role in the first "Gladiator" film, even as the blockbuster officially landed him on the map for good and turned him into one of the most acclaimed (and profitable) actors out there. He once referred to the script as "rubbish," for one notable example, but clearly holds fond memories of both his experiences during production and the character of Maximus himself. Considering how much he fought to protect the protagonist during filming, it's easy to understand his rather prickly feelings towards how the sequel reframes his previous actions.

Look no further than Paul Mescal's Lucius, our new hero in "Gladiator II," who turns out to be the illegitimate son of both Connie Nielsen's Lucilla and Maximus himself. This controversial twist can't help but tarnish Maximus' legacy, as the timeline of events would've required our noble hero to have cheated on his wife — you know, the same one who ends up tragically murdered in the original film, setting off Maximus' entire quest for revenge in the first place. According to Crowe, this was something he stridently opposed during production on "Gladiator." He went on to explain:

"The thing is, 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***ing this other girl? What are you talking about? It's crazy."

Ridley Scott already has plans for a "Gladiator III" ... but let's maybe not tell Crowe that.