Are you not entertained? It seems Russell Crowe was anything but that for the Gladiator sequel. The original movie earned the New Zealand-born actor an Academy Award for Best Actor. The 2024 film featuring Paul Mescal, by the sounds of it, was not Russell’s cup of tea. Paul portrays Lucius in the sequel, the son of Maximus, played by Russell in the first film, who dies at the end.
The Beautiful Mind actor believes that Gladiator II failed to understand what made the first one so special. The second film, released in 2024, had a budget of over $300 million.
A report claims Paul Mescal thinks of Russell Crowe as a “grumpy old man”
The father-son Gladiator team never featured together, and perhaps that is for the best. Neither seem terribly fond of one another, at least not anymore. Russell slammed the sequel, calling it a snooze fest while criticizing its supposed lack of a moral code.
Paul fired back at him with an insider telling RadarOnline that he sees the original Gladiator star as a “grumpy old man.” The insider adds that Paul believes it’s pathetic that Russell couldn’t just pass the torch to him when the second Gladiator was in production and wish him well.
While neither appear to be on good terms, Russell seems to be getting on well with Nicole Kidman. He and the Oscar-winning actress have reportedly bonded. Russell could be risking his relationship, according to reports as a result. He has been dating Britney Theriot, a real estate agent. Nicole was officially divorced recently from Keith Urban after nearly 20 years of marriage.
Before all the hate aimed at Gladiator II, Paul was said to be a huge admirer of Russell. An insider says Russell’s harsh words about the sequel left Paul very disappointed and sad. Both Gladiator films grossed over $400 million at the box office, though the original’s budget was far less at just over $100 million.
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