Starz is officially returning to one of its most beloved and groundbreaking hit series - Spartacus. The network announced that a new series is in development that is set to massively expand on the world and characters of the original show and create a new journey that will explore much of what was left untouched in the original four-season run on the network. Original series creator, writer, and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight will also be returning as executive producer and showrunner for the new series.
Set in the aftermath of Spartacus's defeat at the hands of Marcus Crassus and the Roman army, the drama will explore what happens in the dark underbelly of Rome. It promises a new tale full of treachery, deceit, and blood that unfolds that will revisit these characters and this world in a new light. Plot details are few, but it's almost certain to follow a new lead after Spartacus's death at the end of the original run.
It'll have massive shoes, or in this case, sandals, to fill as Spartacus proved to be one of the network's most acclaimed original series with a number of awards under its belt. Kicking off back in 2010, the series followed the journey of the typical Thracian gladiator who rose through the ranks to become a champion and later a leader of a rebel army who vowed to make Rome tremble with his uprising. Each season served as a somewhat separate miniseries, starting with Spartacus: Blood and Sand followed by the prequel chapter Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and later Spartacus: Vengeance in 2012 and Spartacus: War of the Damned in 2013.
The original series featured Andy Whitfield and later Liam McIntyre in the lead role of Spartacus. It also featured the talents of Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Viva Bianca, Katrina Law, Peter Mensah, and Dustin Clare among others. Currently, no cast members have been announced for the new series.
Read Official Quotes From Starz and Spartacus' Stephen S. DeKnight Below
"It has been over a decade since ‘Spartacus’ delighted international audiences and we are thrilled to reimagine and expand this gripping, action-packed drama for our viewers today,” said Starz President of Original Programming Kathryn Busby in an official statement. "Spartacus has deeply invested fans who are eager for its return, and we look forward to working with Steven on this exciting next chapter."
DeKnight has had a successful career as a producer and writer since leaving the world of Spartacus, directing and serving as a co-writer on Pacific Rim: Uprising and serving as a producer, writer, and director on Marvel's Daredevil and Jupiter's Legacy. He's excited to return to the sword-and-sandal genre, however. "It’s such an incredible honor to be invited to return to the world of ‘Spartacus’ and to be met with unbridled creative support from my colleagues at Starz and Lionsgate,” he said in a statement. “Together we are crafting something truly unique and unusual for the next chapter in this epic story.”
Lionsgate Television is producing the series for Starz with Executive Vice President of Original Programming Karen Bailey and Directors of Original Programming Giovanna Desselle and Alex Alberts overseeing for the network. Lionsgate has Head of Scripted Development and Executive Vice President Scott Herbst and Senior Vice President of Scripted Development Jocelyn Sabo attached.
Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the new Spartacus series. Check out a trailer from the original hit below.