Russell Crowe said the creative team behind “Gladiator 2” completely missed the mark when they crafted the sequel because they comprehend neither the original film’s unique theme nor Maximus’ true character.
“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 during an interview with Australian radio station Triple J uploaded on Monday. “It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”
He then reflected on his days filming the first “Gladiator” where he said it was a “daily fight” to uphold the moral code of his character Maximus. He added that he even rejected the idea of adding in sex scenes, which he felt went against the loyalty Maximus’ had to his wife.
“It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character,” he explained. “The amount of times they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus, it’s like – you’re taking away his power.”
Watch the clip below.
In the second installment, the film unveils that Maximus did in fact have an extramarital affair with Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), which spawned Maximus’ side baby Lucius (Paul Mescal), who is the star of “Gladiator 2.”
“So you’re saying at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was f—king this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy,” Crowe added.
“Gladiator 2,” which was also directed by Ridley Scott, hit theaters in 2024. It starred Mescal, Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington and more.
