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EXCLUSIVE: Steven D. Knight’s large return to nan “Spartacus” Universe pinch Spartacus: House of Ashur will not spell beyond its freshman play astatine Starz, which has canceled nan gladiator drama. Lionsgate Television, which produces nan series, is presently shopping it to different platforms, sources show Deadline.
The Spartacus sequel could not lucifer nan buzz and viewership levels of nan original 2010 series. Additionally, nan constitution of nan followup’s assemblage did not rather align pinch Starz’s attraction connected women and underrepresented audiences, sources said.
The sword-and-sandal genre is inherently male-skewing and celebrated pinch achromatic viewers. Still, for illustration its predecessor, House of Ashur features a divers formed pinch storylines that characteristic prominently women and characters of underrepresented backgrounds. Examples see powerful Black gladiatrix Achillia, played by Tenika Davis, arsenic good arsenic aggregate spotlights of LGBTQIA+ characters.
Following Starz’s divided from Lionsgate, House of Ashur is besides nary longer owned by nan network. To statement up its financial future, Starz has been leaning into much owned series specified arsenic Fightland, executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and nan as-yet-untitled family play group successful nan world of Black rodeo successful Texas. The Nick E. Taraby-led House of Ashur was picked up by Starz successful 2023, prior to its separation from Lionsgate.
Spartacus: House of Ashur asks nan question: What if Ashur, who died successful Spartacus: Vengeance, had lived, and nan Romans rewarded his treachery pinch nan gladiator schoolhouse wherever he erstwhile bled?
Set successful an alternate timeline, Ashur returned successful nan caller series. No longer a slave, Ashur has clawed his measurement to power, owning nan aforesaid ludus that erstwhile owned him. But ruling a set of merciless gladiators is child’s play compared to surviving nan ferocious world of Roman authorities — a cutthroat crippled successful which betrayal isn’t a sin, it’s currency.
He flips contented connected its caput by unleashing Achillia, a fierce and powerful gladiatrix eager to beryllium herself worthy successful a man’s world. Together, they ignite a caller benignant of spectacle that shocks, disrupts, and offends nan elite pinch each driblet of blood.
In summation to Tarabay and Davis, nan formed besides includes Graham McTavish, Jordi Webbe, Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Claudia Black arsenic Cossutia, India Shaw-Smith, Jackson Gallagher, Jaime Slater, and Leigh Gill. Lucy Lawless returned to nan franchise successful nan premiere section to group up nan alternate timeline.
