Gladiator Sequel Planned, Perhaps Without Russell Crowe

(andPOP) - The movie that made Russell Crowe into a household name may just be the first in a series of films; a series that won't include Crowe.

There have been talks about creating a sequel to Gladiator, which starred Crowe as a Roman gladiator seeking revenge.

It's not that Crowe is refusing to come back. His character was dramatically killed off at the end of Gladiator, making it tough for him to be written into a new script.

Djimon Hounsou, who played an African slave in the first film, said the sequel is in the works, but making it official is far away.

"They're not happy about what they have for now, so they're still working on it. It's still in development," said Hounsou, according to the AP. "I would probably be in the center of it as one of the leads."

Gladiator made almost $200 million at U.S. box office, and even more internationally and through massive DVD sales.

Crowe won an Oscar for his role in Gladiator. He most recently through a phone at a hotel employee.