Ridley Scott‘s highly anticipated Gladiator II is gearing up to release this week.

In the first Gladiator movie, Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix played opposing roles, with Crowe as the heroic Maximus and Phoenix as the villainous Roman emperor Commodus.

Crowe once slammed Phoenix for “unprofessional” behaviour while filming the 2000 blockbuster.

Director Ridley Scott described the incident in a recent interview with The New York Times, describing how Phoenix almost walked off set in full costume.

Scott explained that Phoenix expressed serious doubts about continuing during a particularly stressful scene.

Scott recounted, “He was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it.’ I said, ‘What?’”

Crowe then stepped in and called out the Joker star.

He said, “This is terribly unprofessional.”

Scott had to defuse the tension, stepping into a supportive role to convince Phoenix to stay.

He described his relationship with Phoenix as nurturing, saying, “I can be like a big brother or dad. But I’m quite a friend of Joaquin’s.”

“Gladiator was a baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning.”

Despite the friction, Phoenix’s performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, while Crowe won the Oscar for Best Actor as Maximus.

The film itself claimed five Oscars, including Best Picture.

Scott’s recollections surface as excitement builds for Gladiator II, which will feature Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal in key roles.

Set to release on November 15, 2024, Gladiator II continues the epic story of ancient Rome under the direction of Ridley Scott.

The highly anticipated sequel takes place 20 years after the original film, in which Russell Crowe starred as Maximus.

This time, the story focuses on Lucius Verus, played by Paul Mescal, the son of Lucilla and the late Maximus.

The story follows Lucius, who lives peacefully in Numidia with his wife and child. But this calm is violently disrupted when Roman forces, led by General Marcus Acacius, invade his home.

In the brutal attack, Lucius’s wife is killed, and he is captured.

Drawing inspiration from the legacy of Maximus, Lucius is forced into the gladiatorial arena, where he must fight for survival and seek revenge against Rome’s corrupt rulers.