Joaquin Phoenix was not ready to enter the “Gladiator” arena — and Russell Crowe didn’t like it. The movie’s director, Ridley Scott, spoke to The New York Times before the upcoming release of “Gladiator II” and revealed that the first few days of production didn’t go as planned – mainly because Phoenix was overwhelmed and Crowe believed his behavior was “unprofessional.

Director Ridley Scott returned to ancient Rome for the upcoming Gladiator II, arriving more than two decades after the original starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. When looking back on the first installment,

Russell Crowe apparently called out his Gladiator co-star Joaquin Phoenix for his alleged 'unprofessional' behaviour while on set of the 2000 classic.