Russell Crowe is gearing up to play a warrior once again in The Last Druid. The announcement comes following the actor’s confirmed absence from Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel to his critically acclaimed historical epic. Talking to DeadlineCrowe publicly expressed his concerns about the release of Gladiator 2: “‘I’m a little uncomfortable […] some things I heard, like – no, no, no.” However, Crowe’s license to Gladiator 2 is understandable given Maximus’ fate at the end of the first film, while the sequel is expected to focus more on the connection between Maximus and Lucius.
About that, The Last Druid Crowe fights the Roman Empire again. Directed by Will Eubank, the story will follow a Roman emperor who discovers a Druid fortress hidden in the Caledonian mountains, where Crowe must rise to protect his people. Additional casting for The Last Druid is still in the works, and Stuart Ford’s AGC will launch the project at the American Film Market. Crowe’s resurgence in historical storytelling is ripe for critical and commercial recognition and it is anything but a confirmation that The Last Druid is what Scott’s sequel should have been.
Russell Crowe’s The Last Druid shares a lot of DNA with Gladiator
The Last Druid will portray the Roman Empire from a different angle
The Last Druid echoes the powerful style of Crowe’s performance in Gladiator, the Scott film that won Crowe the Oscar for Best Actor in 2001. The Roman Empire will serve as the backdrop for his next film, but it will allow Crowe to explore a different perspective on the historical era. The Last Druiddetails of are still limited at this stage, but there are already several thematic similarities to be noted in the actor’s previous work. Crowe’s highly praised performance as Maximus positioned him well to once again play a warrior, a prospect that is both intriguing and promising.
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According to DeadlineCrowe’s character is “a peaceful Celtic elder [who] must take up arms to protect his family and his people from annihilation.” This paper in The Last Druid takes inspiration from the complexity of one of Crowe’s best roles, as seen in Gladiator. Approaching the Roman Empire from a Celtic perspective will be interesting, with The Last Druid apparently instead focusing on the increase in conflicts that occurred as Rome expanded its territory. Crowe has secured a powerful and resilient figure who will attract new audiences and reestablish interest in his extensive body of work, while also showing another side of the story.
The story of the last druid would have been a better premise for Gladiator 2
The huge expectations for Gladiator 2 required more risks
The way things are, Gladiator 2 it feels more like a stealth remake than a sequel. The upcoming action epic comes dangerously close to retreading the original story, and Gladiator 2 already faces criticism for its historical inaccuracies. The backlash came from higher education professors like Dr. Shadi Bartsch of the University of Chicago, who called the film “total Hollywood bullshit,” in The Hollywood Reporter. While public responses aren’t all that unfavorable, it’s clear that there are some doubts regarding the impending sequel; Gladiator 2 could have benefited greatly from things like The Last Druidthe new premise.
Staying true to his first film, Scott could have kept the story in Rome rather than Scotland, which would have been an interesting reinterpretation of the Last Druid concept.
This narrative would have complemented Gladiatorthe original story well. Staying true to his first film, Scott could have kept the story in Rome rather than Scotland, which would have been an interesting reinterpretation of the concept of The Last Druid. The story would have required some revisions, but the general idea would have suited Scott’s historical universe better. The 24-year gap between the two films contributes to extremely high expectations for the beloved story, and it’s hard to deny that a new take on the Roman Empire would have been extremely supportive of the director’s long-awaited sequel.
Source: Deadline, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter