Gladiator 2 Star Confirms Film Will Pay Homage to Russell Crowe Original

Ridley Scott's highly-anticipated Gladiator 2 is one of the many productions that is currently on hold due to the WGA and SAG strikes. The film is set to star Paul Mescal, who will be taking over the role of Lucius, the part played by Spencer Treat Clark in the first film. The sequel will also feature original Gladiator actors Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) and Djimon Hounsou (Juba), but Russell Crowe's Maximus will not be part of the film. However, Mescal recently spoke with Esquire and teased the movie will pay homage to the first film despite the fact that he has never spoken to the original star about the sequel. 

"I don't know what we would talk about. Like, I'd love to hear his stories from filming, but the character is, like, totally separate," Mescal explained. When it's mentioned that Lucius is long-rumored to be Maximus's son, Mescal refused to answer with a "Nawp!" 

"I can't get into that!" Mescal replied when asked if Lucius is a gladiator in the film.  "I can't tell you how stressed I am talking about that film in particular because it's definitely the biggest one I've done. I feel really excited, but, like, it's difficult to get away from the legacy of the film a bit. I think it's really well written and it pays homage to the first one, but it's very much something that I think I can step into and make comfortably my own."

Stop Asking Russell Crowe About Gladiator 2:

Crowe has repeatedly confirmed he's not returning to the role that earned him an Oscar back in 2001. In fact, he recently told journalists at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival (via Variety) that he's sick of answering questions about the movie.

"They should be f*cking paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in," Crowe said. "It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life."

He added, "I don't know anything about the cast, I don't know anything about the plot. I am dead! But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can't think of this movie being anything other than spectacular."

Crowe said something similar when previously taking to Collider, saying again that he's "jealous" of the new movie's cast. 

"I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life," Crowe explained. "It's something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I've been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible. Here it is, it's 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don't always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart."

Stay tuned for updates about Gladiator 2.