The first Gladiator film starring Russell Crowe was a seminal film that ushered in the beginning of the new century. The film showcased Crowe at his best as an actor, while also reminding audiences of the brilliance of Ridley Scott as a director. The film went on to win Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe. Many still rewatch the film and celebrate its narrative triumph.
Scott is gearing up for the release of the sequel to the film titled Gladiator II, which is scheduled to hit theatres in November of this year. Paul Mescal plays the lead of the film with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn also playing prominent roles. Quinn was a big fan of the first film and he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the epic size and scale of the sets of Gladiator II.
Joseph Quinn Has Huge Praise For Gladiator II But It’s Monumental Budget Makes it A Risk
Joseph Quinn‘s career is currently on a high ever since his scene-stealing role as Eddie in season 4 of Stranger Things. This year, the actor will be starring in two high-profile films, A Quiet Place: Day One, and Gladiator II. Quinn is joined by some heavy-weight actors in the latter including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Paul Mescal.
Ridley Scott returns to direct the sequel which takes place almost 15-20 years after the events of 2000’s Gladiator. Quinn is especially ecstatic to be joining the sequel and he has high praise for the production and the scale of the film.
In an interview with GQ, he called the production of Gladiator II a visual wonder. The actor was in awe of Scott’s incredible ambition for the film and even described seeing some things he had never seen on a film set, which could only be achieved with its $300 million budget. Quinn said,
The set of Gladiator II is a wonder to bear witness to. You know that Rutger Hauer speech at the end of Blade Runner? ‘I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe,’ that’s what it felt like, just seeing it all. That’s what $300m gets you. Ridley’s ambition, you see it in every frame. The film is reaching for something that is very much its own thing but also has reverence for the first film.
The first film had a budget of $103 million and grossed $460 million (via Box Office Mojo). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gladiator II’s budget ballooned closer to $310 million. This means that the sequel’s budget is thrice the budget of the first film. This has concerned fans about whether it would be able to reach the breakthrough point at the box office.
As many have pointed out on Reddit, the film’s budget and the cast who do not have a huge box office draw are a major detriment to the film. Many big-budget films like The Fall Guy and Furiosa which have a significantly lesser budget than Gladiator II have failed this year (via Vulture), and Scott’s film will indeed be a huge gamble.
Russell Crowe Feels Sightly Uncomfortable That Ridley Scott Made Gladiator II
Russell Crowe’s Gladiator character Maximus died in the first film and he wouldn’t be returning the the sequel coming this year. Gladiator II will focus on a grown-up Lucius played by Paul Mescal. In a recent interview with Kyle Meredith (via YouTube), Crowe revealed that he is a bit uncomfortable that Ridley Scott is making a sequel to his beloved film.
The actor stated that he is not on board with some of the arcs of the characters that he has heard about in the sequel. However, he has no say in the matter but is interested to see how it all turns out. Crowe said,
I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done. But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like, ‘No, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character’. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like.
Gladiator II stars Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi. The film will hit theatres on November 22, 2024. Fans can watch 2000’s Gladiator on Peacock.
