Gladiator star Russell Crowe has announced a Malta summer appearance in an ambiguous tweet, asking fans to “save the date”.

The tweet does not offer much information apart from the date of whatever Crowe is planning, June 17, 2023, and the venue - St George’s Square, Valletta.

It has led to speculation that he could be planning a performance along with his band, The Gentlemen Barbers, as he is set to tour Australia throughout May and early June. He has previously promised to bring the tour to Europe.  

Crowe has a special relationship with Malta, where he filmed his Oscar-winning role for Gladiator 24 years ago. 

One person replied to the tweet asking about upcoming tour dates for Crowe and his band who are set to tour Australia throughout May.

"Will you announce the other dates and cities soon," they asked, taking Crowe's tweet as confirmation for a Maltese show.

His appearance will also coincide with the filming of the sequel to Gladiator, which is expected to begin in mid-June and will shoot for around four months in Malta, according to industry sources.

However, Crowe has appeared to rule himself out of any involvement. He told Irish radio show The Ryan Tubridy Show last month that "it doesn't really involve me at all". 

Currently expected to appear in the film are Oscar nominees Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) with A-lister Denzel Washington (American Gangter, The Book of Eli) reported to be in final talks to join the cast.

Released in 2000, Gladiator saw Crowe portray Maximus, a former general forced into becoming a gladiator under the rule of the self-appointed Roman emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix.

Scott is no stranger to the Maltese islands. Having filmed sections of his 2000 action epic in Malta, the writer, producer and director returned to the Mediterranean island to shoot scenes for his upcoming historical epic, Napolean.

Last October, Scott’s executive producer Aidan Elliot had said it had been a “no-brainer” for them to choose Malta for previous films thanks to the lucrative cash-back scheme.