Russell Crowe has discussed the reason he felt that Gladiator II was inferior to the original movie.
READ MORE: ‘Gladiator 2’ review: back to Rome for Paul Mescal’s Colosseum-sized sequel
The sequel, released last year, picks up years after the original Gladiator movie, and saw Paul Mescal play Lucius, the child who witnessed Maximus’ (Crowe) death in the first movie, return to Rome seeking revenge on the empire.
Directed by Ridley Scott and co-starring Denzel Washington, it was one of the more successful films of last year, but Crowe has revealed he isn’t a fan.
Speaking to Australian radio station Triple J, the Oscar-winner said: “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.”
He continued: “It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”
Crowd then revealed how he protected the moral core of Maximus during the original film’s shoot. “The thing is, there was a daily fight on that set. It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character,” he said.
“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 fucking this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy.”
Gladiator II was a box office success, although not on the same level as the original film. It also did not enjoy the same critical or awards recognition of the original movie, which won five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor back in 2001. However, it did have one fan in Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, who described it as “jaw-dropping” and “masterful”.
Last year, it was revealed that Russell Crowe helped with the surgery costs of a stunt coordinator who worked with him on Gladiator and other projects. “He’s been kind to me in so many ways,” Charlie Allan said in an interview. “I never ask Russell for anything.”
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