Russell Crowe is gearing up to play a warrior once more inThe Last Druid. The announcement comes after the actor’s confirmed absence from Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel to his critically acclaimed historical epic. Speaking withDeadline, Crowe publicly voiced his concerns about therelease ofGladiator 2:"‘I’m slightly uncomfortable […] a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like — no, no, no." Nevertheless, Crowe’s leave fromGladiator 2is understandable due to Maximus’ fate at the end of the first movie, while the sequel is set to focus more onthe connection between Maximus and Lucius.
Meanwhile,The Last DruidhasCrowe fighting the Roman Empire again. Directed by Will Eubank, the story will follow a Roman Emperor who uncovers a hidden Druid stronghold in the mountains of Caledonia, where Crowe must rise up to protect his people. Additional casting forThe Last Druidis still underway, and Stuart Ford’s AGC will launch the project at the American Film Market.Crowe’s reemergence into the historical narrative is set for commercial and critical recognitionand is all but confirmation thatThe Last Druidis what Scott’s sequel should’ve been.
Russell Crowe’s The Last Druid Shares A Lot Of DNA With Gladiator
The Last Druid Will Depict The Roman Empire From A Different Angle
The Last Druidechoes the powerful style of Crowe’s performance inGladiator,the Scott movie that earned Crowe an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001. The Roman Empire will serve as the backdrop for his upcoming movie but will allow Crowe to explore a different perspective on the historical era.The Last Druid’s detailsare still limited at this stage, but there are already several thematic similaritiesto be observed from the actor’s earlier work. Crowe’s highly praised performance as Maximus has positioned him well to once again embody a warrior, a prospect that is both intriguing and promising.
Should Gladiator II include a Russell Crowe cameo?
The time is almost here for Gladiator II, and one of the biggest questions still remains whether Russell Crowe has in fact made a secret cameo in the sequel, or if his and Ridley Scott’s comments stating he won’t are true. Personally, I don’t believe he’ll be coming back, mainly because of the fact that Crowe’s aging would require a fair amount of CGI to cover up his dead character if he were to return via flashbacks or as a spirit. That said, the fact the sequel confirms that Paul Mescal’s Lucius is the son of Crowe’s Maximus, it may work thematically to have some kind of spiritual visit from the original protagonist to give the new lead some advice.
According toDeadline, Crowe’s character is “a peaceful Celtic elder [who] must take up arms to protect his family and people from annihilation.” This role inThe Last Druiddraws inspiration from the complexity of one ofCrowe’s best rolesas seen inGladiator. Approaching the Roman Empire from a Celtic perspective will be interesting, withThe Last Druidseemingly instead focusing on the increased conflicts that occurred as Rome expanded its territory. Crowe has secured a powerful and resilient figure that will attract new audiences and reinstate interest in his extensive body of work while showing another side of history.
The Last Druid’s Story Would’ve Been A Better Premise For Gladiator 2
The Huge Expectations For Gladiator 2 Demanded More Of A Risk
As things stand,Gladiator 2feels more like a stealth remakethan a sequel. The upcoming action epic looms dangerously close to retreading the original story, andGladiator 2is already facing criticismfor its historical inaccuracies. The backlash came from professors in higher education, such as Dr. Shadi Bartsch of the University of Chicago, who branded the movie “total Hollywood bulls**t,” inThe Hollywood Reporter. Although audience responses are not as unfavorable, it’s clear that there are some doubts concerning the impending sequel;Gladiator 2could have greatly benefited from the likes ofThe Last Druid’s new premise.
Remaining faithful to his first movie, Scott could have kept the story in Rome rather than Scotland, which would’ve been an interesting reinterpretation of the concept of The Last Druid.
This narrative would have complementedGladiator’s original tale well. Remaining faithful to his first movie, Scott could have kept the story in Rome rather than Scotland, which would’ve been an interesting reinterpretation of the concept ofThe Last Druid. The story would have required some revisions, but the general idea would have been better suited to Scott’s historical universe. The 24-year gap between the two films contributes to exceedingly high expectations for the beloved story, and it’s difficult to deny that a new approach to the Roman Empire would have been hugely favorable to the director’s long-awaited sequel.
