That’s a lot of Oscar history happening in the span of two years, a Jenga tower of cause and effect that would topple if even one block got removed. Like, for example, if Russell Crowe never won that Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator, a development that would alter the course of Oscars history, Hollywood history — heck, even American history.

Russell Crowe wanted to keep spectators entertained. While the Oscar-winning star of 2000’s Gladiator is not in the film’s follow-up, he did valiantly try to be. According to helmer Ridley Scott, Crowe wanted to reincarnate his character of Maximus,

Even though Russell Crowe is not in Gladiator 2, director Ridley Scott has revealed that Crowe originally wanted to reprise his role, even if it meant bringing him back from the dead.

It was an open secret and, with the release of 'Gladiator II', it became clear that Russell Crowe was not going to return as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a role he played in the origi

Russell Crowe really wanted to be in Gladiator II, despite the obvious problem that his characters dies in the first movie.

In an interview with People magazine, Scott shared insights into the actor’s persistence. “Russell and I had a go at it around 18 years ago,” he said. “I had Nick Cave writing the script, and I kept saying [to Russell],

We examine the road to Gladiator II not taken in a 2001 screenplay by Nick Cave. Written at the behest of Russell Crowe, it "sorted out" Maximus being dead by beginning in the afterlife and ending with America's Vietnam

In a recent discussion, acclaimed director Ridley Scott revealed that Russell Crowe was extremely enthusiastic about reprising his role of General Maximus in Gladiator 2. The actor, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in Gladiator,