After more than two decades of fans hoping and begging for a sequel, Ridley Scott gave moviegoers exactly what they wanted by creating the big-screen extravaganza Gladiator II, the long-awaited follow-up to his Academy Award-winning 2000 historical epic that features Paul Mescal as the fierce and resilient warrior Lucius Verus Aurelius. The sweeping picture follows Lucius as he sets out on a dangerous quest to exact revenge against the powerful and feared General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) after his beloved homeland is invaded.
The character of Lucius was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark and is revealed to be the illegitimate son of Russell Crowe’s iconic hero Maximus in the original blockbuster hit. Crowe notably received an Oscar for Best Actor for his phenomenal portrayal in the Scott classic, and went to great lengths to try and find a way to be involved in the thrilling sequel; let’s check out how the famed leading man tried to unsuccessfully bring his character Maximus back in Gladiator II.
A Breathtaking Oscar-Winning Epic
Russell Crowe skyrocketed to further superstardom and continued proving he was one of Hollywood’s most compelling leading men when he starred as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Ridley Scott’s 2000 historical epic Gladiator, centering on the respected Roman general as he is betrayed and stripped of his rank by the cruel and power-hungry Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). After he is forced into slavery and his family is horrifically murdered, Maximus sets out to avenge their deaths and becomes a fearsome gladiator in the arena, rising in the ranks to exact his vengeance on Commodus.
Both a critical and commercial knockout, Gladiator grossed $465.5 million worldwide and received numerous accolades like five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe as well as two Golden Globes and four BAFTAs. Crowe’s commanding performance as the revenge-seeking Maximus was singled out by movieogers, with many deeming the portrayal his star-making role and one of the finest in the acclaimed actor’s stellar repertoire. With such an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, it’s no wonder that Crowe hoped to replicate the magic in a potential sequel.
Scott Tried to Concoct a Bizarre Way to Bring Crowe Back
After the massive box office success of Gladiator and its five dazzling Oscar wins, discussions for a follow-up quickly began in 2001 with director Ridley Scott attached to return and hoping to reveal what happened to Maximus’ illegitimate son, Lucius Verus. Though Crowe’s character notably died at the end of the sweeping picture after successfully getting bloody revenge against Commodus, the revered filmmaker tried to come up with a creative way to include the actor in a potential sequel.
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Although it’s set over 20 years later, Gladiator II will follow and reference events from the original film.
Scott thoroughly researched the ancient Roman beliefs about the afterlife and entertained the idea of resurrection, revealing to People how eager Crowe was to be involved: “Russell and I had a go at it around 18 years ago. I had Nick Cave writing the script and I kept saying [to Russell], ‘But you’re dead.’ And he said, ‘I know I’m dead. And I want to come back from the dead.’” Crowe continued pushing to have a fantasy element allow Maximus to come back from the dead, with Scott proposing the character return via a “portal to bring him back from the dead” as the spirit of a warrior.
The Oscar-winner rebuffed the idea when he discovered that for the storyline to make logical sense on the screen a different actor would have to fill the reincarnated role, an aspect Crowe was not pleased with and left the whacky concept D.O.A. Scott instead wanted to focus on the character of Lucius and the parallel journey the fearless protagonist embarks upon after he too is wrongfully enslaved and forced to participate in brutal tournaments as a gladiator. Rising superstar Paul Mescal stars as the formidable hero in the electrifying sequel Gladiator II that finally came to fruition in 2024.
Gladiator II Focuses on Maximus’ Son Lucius
After a long 24-year wait, fans of the phenomenal 2000 blockbuster were finally given the sequel they had longed for with the star-studded follow-up Gladiator II, touting the talents of big names like Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn. The historical action picture premiered on November 22, 2024 and has already garnered rave reviews by both critics and fans of the original masterpiece, with the adrenaline-pumping action sequences, stunning cinematography, and the stellar cast performances being singled out; a third film, Gladiator III, is already in development by Scott and the studio.
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Does Lucius survive the Colosseum in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II?’
In April 2023, Russell Crowe revealed to Collider that he felt a bit envious and left out in regards to the creation of Gladiator II, stating how the celebrated predecessor “holds a special place in my heart” and how he felt “slightly jealous” not being involved in the making of the sequel. Crowe became a household name due to the groundbreaking impact of the exciting epic and, as previously mentioned, took home an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal, fondly expressing of the experience:
“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.”
Gladiator II is currently in theaters.
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