As Gladiator II dominates theaters, Crowe has a must-watch streaming pick.

That’s a lot of Oscar history happening in the span of two years, a Jenga tower of cause and effect that would topple if even one block got removed. Like, for example, if Russell Crowe never won that Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator, a development that would alter the course of Oscars history, Hollywood history — heck, even American history.

Russell Crowe really wanted to be in Gladiator II, despite the obvious problem that his characters dies in the first movie.

As legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott tells PEOPLE, the New Zealand star, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 2001 for his performance in the first film, was eager to somehow factor into Gladiator II despite his character Maximus's death at the end of the original.

An actor and stunt coordinator who injured his leg has reached his £25,000 fundraising target for treatment with the help of star and friend Russell Crowe. Charlie Allan, 61, from the Scottish Borders, teaches and performs combat in film and television, having worked with Crowe on Gladiator as well as Robin Hood.

A Gladiator stuntman fears he may lose his leg after a horror fall, prompting Russell Crowe to donate £5,000 for his limb-saving op.