Crowe won't be back for Gladiator sequel

Seems the new honoray spokesman for AT&T won’t be back for the long-mooted sequel to "Gladiator", co-star Djimon Hounsou tells Reuters.

Speaking in New York to promote his latest film "The Island," Hounsou said "definitely the desire is to do a sequel" to "Gladiator."

He acknowledged it would be hard for Crowe to return as Maximus given his dramatic death at the end of the first film, but he said producers were still working on the script and casting decisions.

"They’re not happy about what they have for now, so they’re still working on it. It’s still in development," said Hounsou, adding that he expects to reprise his role as Juba. "I would probably be in the center of it as one of the leads," he said.

If the writers did find a way to whack Crowe’s character into the film – there could be other obstacles, says Hounsou. If convicted of assault – arrested last month after an incident in which police say he hurled a telephone at the concierge of the Mercer Street Hotel in Manhattan – Crowe could face up to seven years in prison, and no, the warden probably won’t let him out to do a flick.