Ridley Scott Says Russell Crowe Would Star in Gladiator II (Exclusive)

Russell Crowe will not return to the Coliseum in the long-awaited sequel to Gladiator – but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

As legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott tells PEOPLE, the New Zealand star, who won the 2001 Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the first film, was eager to be involved in some way Gladiator II despite his character Maximus’ death at the end of the original.

“Russell and I tried it about 18 years ago,” recalls Scott, 86. “I got Nick Cave to write the script and I kept saying (to Russell), ‘But you’re dead.’ And he said : ‘I know I’m dead and I want to come back from the dead.’

IN GladiatorCrowe’s Maximus, a former Roman general forced to fight for his life in the Colosseum, dies from wounds sustained after killing Roman Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The new film centers on Lucius (Paul Mescal), son of Maximus, who is also enslaved to become a gladiator. (Lucius was played as a child in the first film Spencer treats Clark.)

Scott says he tried to devise a way to include Maximus in the sequel via a “portal to bring him back from the dead.” “The only way to do it was to go to another battle, and through a dying warrior he comes back in the spirit of the warrior,” Scott recalls. “So it’s his portal.”

When presented with the concept, Scott says Crowe rejected it because it would require casting another actor in the reincarnated role. “He said, ‘So it’s not good, is it?'” Scott remembers Crowe saying. “It didn’t really work.”

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Crowe expressed feeling FOMO after not being included in the sequel, previously reported Collider he was “a little jealous” because looking back, “obviously I was a much younger man and it was a huge experience in my life.” Crowe added that Gladiator still “holds a special place in my heart.”

The actor also said on a podcast that it was “a little uncomfortable” for him since his character is “dead and I have no say in what’s done” in future stories: “Can’t say anything. It’s not mine place. I’m six feet under,” he said at the time.

Two original cast members reprise their roles: Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi. New cast members range from Denzel Washington to Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn.

Mescal, 28, has been open about not feeling compelled to reach out to Crowe before leading the new Gladiator film. “At the end of the day, I have to stand behind this all by myself… You can’t rely on anyone but the script and the director and yourself,” he shared Additional.

Director Scott then said, “I would add to that: Why would Roger Moore call Sean Connery (for a James Bond film)? … What would he do it for?”

For more about Gladiator II, download this week’s edition of PEOPLEon newsstands Friday.