Yahoo Movies Gladiator 2's Connie Nielsen responds to Russell Crowe's absence
Connie Nielsen has spoken about Russell Crowe’s absence from Gladiator II, saying she understands his disappointment over not being involved.
Crowe won't be appearing in movie because his character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, died in the gladiator arena in the original movie. But he's still expressed his disappointment at not having a role in the sequel, with Nielsen sympathising with her former co-star.
“I can completely understand his feelings. It must feel pretty crazy that you're not part of this one, and I sympathise deeply,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
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“[Director Ridley Scott] really wants people to have visceral experiences that they then express when they're on camera, and you get that experience to walk onto this Colosseum, which was as astounding as it was back when I walked onto the Colosseum floor 25 years ago,” she recalled.
“It's the same. And it was a very emotional experience for me. I had so many wonderful memories from the time of doing it and it was kind of marvellous to look back and then all of a sudden be there again. It was frankly quite mind-boggling to have that experience.”
The eagerly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s historical epic follows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), the former heir to the Roman Empire, who is forced into slavery after living his peaceful life with his wife and child is upended.
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Set over two decades after the events of the first film, the sequel — which comes 24 years after its predecessor — understandably features a predominantly new cast, though Nielsen is reprising her role as Lucius’ mother, Lucilla.
Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, who plays Gracchus, are the only two stars from the original to reprise their roles, with the new cast including Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington and Fred Hechinger in addition to Mescal.
Gladiator II is released in UK cinemas on November 15 and US cinemas on November 22.
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