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The New Zealand-born actor, Russell Crowe recently attracted media attention for his comments regarding the current trend of sequels. The actor, who is known for speaking his mind, was critical of one of the superhero franchises, labeling the idea of sequels as ‘lazy’, and criticizing Hollywood’s reliance on them.
The 59-year-old actor’s remarks are in line with those of many moviegoers and critics who believe that Hollywood has lost its originality and become overly dependent on sequels and franchises. However, Crowe also defended the sequel to one of his films despite his criticism ofThor4 and other superhero movies.
His performance in the 2000 film,Gladiatoras the Maximus Decimus Meridius earned him the Best Actor Oscar; he even called the film “a huge experience in my life.” Also, the actor, who is not a part of the sequel, also claimed to be “slightly jealous”.
Well, this is fascinating to note that Ridley Scott’sGladiator 2will hit theaters in November 2024, more than 20 years after the original movie’s release.
Also Read:“I was so excited to see what he would do”: Tom Cruise Was Heartbroken When His Dream to Work With Russell Crowe Fell Apart After $417M Movie Failure
Russell Crowe Called Sequels ‘Lazy’ Despite DefendingGladiator 2
Hollywood has officially approved 137 film sequels as of this writing. One of them is theGladiatorsequel byRidley Scott.
Russell Crowe, a star of the first film,Gladiator,will not appear in the sequel for obvious reasons, despite the fact that he believes sequels are lazy. After his press conference in Valletta, theA Beautiful Mindactor spoke with MaltaToday stating:
“Its such a rich and interesting world. It’s a great idea that Ridley has because it’s not about Maximus and. Commodus. He’s been thinking about it for a long time, he has a very sure and clear idea about how he would tell the story. It’s not a remake. It’s a different story altogether.”
As per reports, the sequel is currently being filmed in Morocco.TheUnhingedactor continued by saying he does not know if Scott’s continuation will be good.
“On paper, at least, it sounds like a preposterous idea, but the cast assembled gives me hope. Also, will they stick with the title? Gladiator 2 just doesn’t sound right. I’m sticking with my advice it should be named GLADIATORS! (might as well keep the exclamation mark in there as well).
For the unversed, the sequel will feature Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Djimon Hounsou, Connie Nielsen, and Joseph Quinn in the lead roles.The film is planned to take place 25 years after the first film, whose screenplay is written by Peter Craig, and David Scarpa
Also Read:“Does he end up running a f–king pizzeria by the Colosseum?”: Russell Crowe Saved $503M Film By Going Against the Script, Ended Up Winning an Oscar For It
How Did The Fans React To This?
Russell Crowe, a renowned actor, thinks that some movies merit other installments, despite the fact that he views sequels as a lazy money grab.As a well-known performer, he discussed his own experiences with movie series, shedding light on the creative factors that go into choosing whether to return to a well-liked character.
“Gladiator was kind of brutal as well. We made them [the audience] fall in love with the character, and then we killed that character.”
The actor’s remarks reaffirm the opinions of many moviegoers and critics who believe that Hollywood has become overly dependent on sequels at the expense of innovative, original storytelling. But his idea was also strongly bashed by fans who believed the contrary.
As he defended his own film’s sequel, so why the disparity in treatment? Why did he oppose sequels in general but support a movie he acted in? This led curious fans to respond in their fair share of ways. Let us look at some.
Nah no thanks, usually it’s other directors that wanna ruin a classic. Now it’s the guy who made the clsssic that wants to ruin it.
— TheNoire🦅 (@Shqipe98)July 29, 2025
U fell off lil buddy
— Mysterion // NeverDeadAgain (@NBAMysterion)August 10, 2025
Yeah, now he has something positive to say about sequels only cus it’s Ridley. What if it was another director?
— Joe W (@JoeWhitehead7)July 01, 2025
Was Thor: Love and Thunder, lazy? 🤣🤣🤣
— skullohmania (@skullohmania)June 18, 2025
As a bit of advice you should make an alt for no culture
— Lucas #FreeATFP (@Lucas_Stone__)July 26, 2025
Really dunno pal, Ridley last films were pretty lazy.
And wtf? There’s so many fucking sequels that are genius, sometimes a story takes more than one film to be told
— Webber: Revenge (@realwebber77)August 15, 2025
Moreover, theAmerican Gangsteractor said in an interview with Collider earlier this year:
“It’s [Gladiator] something that changed my life, really. Here it is, it’s 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight,Gladiatoris 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.”
Will Hollywood heed Crowe’s advice and make the effort to make truly great films rather than relying on sequels to carry the load?
The release date for Paramount’sGladiator sequel is June 25, 2025. Thus, mark the date.
Also Read:Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Did This to Convince Henry Cavill to Pursue Acting after Spotting Him as an Extra in $62M Movie
Source-Malta Today
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
