Russell Crowe talks GLADIATOR sequels

Hot on the hells of the GLADIATOR director’s cut, Russell Crowe has once again brought up the idea of a potential sequel. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Crowe had this to say:

At first I was very cynical about that notion, but I’ve come around on it. We’ve had other ideas too, where we step off into the metaphysical and you actually acknowledge the fact that Maximus is dead, but that is a hard script to write. Nick Cave actually wrote a draft for me and Ridley [Scott] at one point. He’s an excellent writer, man. Nick did this draft and Ridley and I considered it for a while. Actually I paid for it, such is my belief for the idea. But again, like I say, unless everybody is on line then it’s kind of pointless going forward with it.

While a GLADIATOR seems like a long shot, one of Crowe’s other films seems like a potential franchise in the making: MASTER AND COMMANDER. When asked about a sequel, Crowe said: “ It comes up all the time, man. People I meet - bankers, doctors, pilots - are always pulling me aside and saying, ‘So, Captain Aubrey. When do you think he might set sail again? Contractually, with Fox, I’m not required to. Everybody else is if they want to do another one. I think Paul [Bettany] is contracted for three. There are 20 books and there are so many more adventures. You never know. There are some intriguing ideas, like bringing in his dad, his wife, other characters from the books.”