'Gladiator' may return but perhaps without Crowe

[edonline]

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyid=2005-07-11T211051Z_01_N11508519_RTRIDST_0_ENTERTAINMENT-LEISURE-GLADIATOR-DC.XML

'Gladiator' may return but perhaps without Crowe
Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:11 PM ET

By Claudia Parsons

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Russell Crowe's character may have been killed off at the end of the Oscar-winning movie "Gladiator," but that doesn't mean there won't be a sequel, Crowe's co-star, Djimon Hounsou, said on Monday.

Crowe won an Oscar for his role as a Roman general who is betrayed by a jealous prince and returns to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Benin-native Hounsou played an African slave who fights alongside him in the Colosseum.

Speaking in New York to promote his latest film "The Island," Hounsou said "definitely the desire is to do a sequel" to "Gladiator."

He acknowledged it would be hard for Crowe to return as Maximus given his dramatic death at the end of the first film, but he said producers were still working on the script and casting decisions.

"They're not happy about what they have for now, so they're still working on it. It's still in development," said Hounsou, adding that he expects to reprise his role as Juba. "I would probably be in the center of it as one of the leads," he said.

Hounsou's breakout role was in Steven Spielberg's "Amistad" in 1997. He was nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for best supporting actor for his role in "In America."

In "The Island" he plays a mercenary hunting fugitives from a secret institution that produces human clones.

Even if "Gladiator" producers were tempted to recall Crowe through a flashback or some other plot device, Hounsou admitted there could be other obstacles.

The original "Gladiator," directed by Ridley Scott and released in 2000, took more than $187 million at the box office in the United States.

The New Zealand-born Crowe was arrested last month after an incident in which police say he hurled a telephone at the concierge of the Mercer Street Hotel in Manhattan.

If convicted of assault, he could face up to seven years in prison. Crowe has publicly apologized for the incident and his publicist has said the actor threw the phone against a wall rather than at the concierge.

[Cronos]

:mad:

there was a brief mention of a Gladiator 2 on a movie news program a couple of weeks ago and i hoped it was just some kind of mistake or dumb rumour, but obviously not :(

personally, i fucking hate the idea of a sequel to Gladiator, if they want to make another film about gladiators in rome, fine. but just dont try to associate it with Scotts masterpiece

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Well, since he mentioned Amistad, why not make a sequel to that too, Hollywood? Buttnuggets, all of them.

[cocksmokinclerk]

Originally posted by Tyler_Durden_208
Well, since he mentioned Amistad, why not make a sequel to that too, Hollywood? Buttnuggets, all of them.

thank you that made my day!!!

[chasingbanky]

Yeah I'm against this too.... Sequels without the main characters are kinda spin offs and not true sequels to begin with, but I'm not up for a gladiator spin off. FUCK that.

[Arlius]

It's been in "development" for years and it's mostly just wishful thinking on the part of Djimon.

[thedudeman69]

Hmm, Hollywood is getting sequel crazy, aren't they? Man, this is probably being made to make a quick buck.

[Strider]

It's a dreadful idea, and it should not even be considered.

[HM Murdock]

Why make a sequel? It'll be intresting to see the link between the two movies, other than the character Juba (Hounsou), there can't be many connections. Surely they could just come up with an original idea rather than use the "Gladiator" name to promote a half assed spin-off. This movie will even tarnish the credablility of the first, no sequel!

[Mr.Majestyk]

Perhaps a prequel would be a better route to take. That way you could show Crowe's character as he rises through the ranks of the military and his forbidden romance with that hottie Connie Neilsen. Of course, this wouldn't really have to do with being a Gladiator.

[bob]

Well, I like Djimon Honsou more than Russell Crowe, but I hate everything about "Gladiator"...so yeah, I probably wouldn't see this.

[HM Murdock]

Originally posted by Mr.Majestyk
Perhaps a prequel would be a better route to take. That way you could show Crowe's character as he rises through the ranks of the military and his forbidden romance with that hottie Connie Neilsen. Of course, this wouldn't really have to do with being a Gladiator.

The prequel idea would be better than a sequel but it would tarnish the mystery of the relationship of Crowe's and Neilsen's characters in the first. Also I loved the fact Maximus' past was a bit of a mystery, remember until he was turned on he was on the bad guy's side so he probably did some bad things. That would bring him down as a hero if we saw that. I like the idea that this guy could have been a bastard towards innocent people but then turned to help them, it wouldn't be realistic if he was hero through and through. It will be interesting to see what they do with this movie but it could be a car-wreck idea.

[Badbird]

So a cast member of Gladiator makes an off hand comment that "he'd like to do a sequel," and this is... news? Then leap to conclusions and report "Gladiator 2 won't have Russel Crowe OMFG! - Reuters"

I remember years ago on Entertainment Tonight, probably like 1995 or 1996, Tom Arnold and Arnold Schwarzenegger were at some event (probably the opening of Planet Hollywood: Bunnykill, Georga or some shit), and they pleaded to the ET cameras that they wanted James Cameron to write/direct True Lies 2. That didn't mean they were going to make True LIes 2, they just wanted to. There's a big difference between wanting to make a movie, and actually making a movie.

Hell, if that were the case, then I have about ten movies that are going to come out soon.

[HM Murdock]

Originally posted by Badbird
So a cast member of Gladiator makes an off hand comment that "he'd like to do a sequel," and this is... news? Then leap to conclusions and report "Gladiator 2 won't have Russel Crowe OMFG!

There have been talks about the project long before this mention. I heard about it about 6 months ago and thought it had died of death until now. Judging by the way Hollywood is operating these days we will probably see a trilogy, followed by a prequel and then the ever popular spin off with maybe a cross over thrown in. And don't forget the video games and T.V series.

[DestructioN]

Horrible idea...would be a stupid move to make a sequel.

[Shockwave]

..even if Crowe DID return it would be a horrible idea.

Theres nothing left to tell, and NO ONE cares(or is crying for) a sequel.

[Martin Jeeves]

GLADIATOR = Great film!

[Shockwave]

GLADIATOR = Great film!

..as Hollywood uses that logic to make a sequel and/or remake to every film that was ever deemed so.:)

[Arlius]

So a cast member of Gladiator makes an off hand comment that "he'd like to do a sequel," and this is... news? Then leap to conclusions and report "Gladiator 2 won't have Russel Crowe OMFG! - Reuters"
Yeah, it's amazing how something that's supposed to be a legitimate news service can pass along garbage. Even the tabloid gossip wire stories show up in what used to be more respectable news outlets.

BTW- Djimon was saying this exact same BS last time he was out promoting a movie (In America). Mentioning Gladiator helps get his name in more papers.

[Nachokoolaid]

Originally posted by Cronos
:mad:

there was a brief mention of a Gladiator 2 on a movie news program a couple of weeks ago and i hoped it was just some kind of mistake or dumb rumour, but obviously not :(

personally, i fucking hate the idea of a sequel to Gladiator, if they want to make another film about gladiators in rome, fine. but just dont try to associate it with Scotts masterpiece

I remember a few years ago there was a rumor of exactly that. I new Gladiator film, in the vein of the original, but with a whole new cast and a different story. I wouldn't mind that at all.

I'd like to see EAGLE IN THE SNOW adapted (Rome's last defense against the Barbarians) which is based on the true story. However, the main character's name (in real life) was General Maximus, (and he best friend was Quintus!) so I doubt that would be adapted, because people would relate it to Scott's film. Good book, though.

[MrCouch]

i would actually prefer the sequel not having crowe. I would love to see it as a prequel and a seqeul. Showing flashbacks of Juba's life and then cutting to the rise and power of Lucius. maybe if crowe came back for a couple of flashback scenes, but i wouldnt place him as a main character.

[TheGodSon]

This is probably the worst ideas in the history of bad ideas....

[ilovemovies]

I'd be open to it but only if Ridley Scott is directing. And I thought I heard once that movie would focus on Lucius, Connie Nielson's son from the first one.

BTW, I love the prequel idea.

[HM Murdock]

Originally posted by ilovemovies
I'd be open to it but only if Ridley Scott is directing.

I seriously doubt it. He was relucant to make a sequel to Alien so I don't think he'll be up for a Gladiator follow-up. Plus he's gotten his post Gladiator temptations out by making Kindom of Heaven.

[bigred760]

I think it's a horrible idea. Unless they have a kickass script, cast, and director - nobody's going to watch this thing. I'm comforted with the fact that they're trying to improve whatever script they have. But it's just another attempt by Hollywood to get a dime out of a successful franchise (even though this particular franchise only consists of the one movie). I'm hoping it ends up in some kind of development hell.

[wheresdonnie?]

Bad idea. I think Djimon Hounsou is a great actor, but Juba hardly deserves his own movie (If that's the way they decide to go), and I think we learned everything we needed to know about what happened before the events in the movie from the film itself. Pointless.

[Shockwave]

I'd be open to it but only if Ridley Scott is directing. And I thought I heard once that movie would focus on Lucius, Connie Nielson's son from the first one.

ILOVEMOVIES, i had heard about that idea as well, and while semi-liking it, i stills tand by the fact that its just not needed.

Anything can be a good movie if worked in the right way, but im about tired of movies with sequels that OBVIOUSLY ended with NO intent on having one. They feel tacked on and cheap. Make something new. Fresh.

Chalk this one in the air with the SEVEN and the Usual Suspects sequel pitches for me.