After over two decades since the original film's release, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 is set to premiere in theaters at the end of next year in November 2024. Fans are very excited to see the follow-up to the 2000 Best Picture winner that saw the film's lead, Russell Crowe, win the Academy Award for Best Lead Actor for his performance in the film. Recently, Collider's own Perri Nemiroff had the chance to sit down with Crowe to discuss his upcoming horror film, The Pope's Exorcist.
During the interview, Nemiroff asked Crowe if there was anything that he was specifically looking forward to seeing in the film since he is not a part of it, asking, "Is there anything that you, as a key part of the original film, are hoping to see in another installment of that now film series?" Crowe spoke about how he doesn't really know what is going on with the specifics of the film but knows that Scott will want to make the new film as impactful as the original. "I don’t really know where they’re going to go with it. I’m sure that [there have] been things on [Ridley Scott’s] mind for the last 24 years that he thinks he can probably do better, or something. I think that’s one of the positives about it, for sure, that it is Ridley because he’s going to want to go back into that world and create something [on] the same level of spectacle as the first one."
Continuing from the previous point, Crowe reflected on how much that film changed his life and its longevity that the film is still watched and revered to this day, saying:
"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. 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."
What We Know About Gladiator 2
Right now, we know only a few details about the upcoming film, but it was confirmed that the film is set to be led by Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal, who will play Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus. The sequel will pick up years after the end of the first film and will follow the story of Lucius as a grown man. Additional cast members that are set to appear in the film include Barry Keoghan was in talks to play the film's villain, Emperor Geta and Denzel Washington is currently in the final negotiations to play an undisclosed role that was written with the actor in mind. In addition to serving as the film's director, Ridley Scott will also be a producer for Gladiator 2 via his Scott Free production banner alongside the company's president Michael Pruss. Doug Wick & Lucy Fisher via Red Wagon Entertainment will also produce. David Scarpa (The Last Castle, All the Money in the World) penned the screenplay. Costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max will reprise their production roles from the original.
Gladiator 2 is set to release in theaters on November 22, 2024. Crowe's upcoming horror film The Pope’s Exorcist arrives in theaters on April 14. Check out our conversation with Crowe down below.