or


[05/11/10 - 01:39 PM]
Production on Starz' 'Spartacus' Six-Part Prequel to Begin This Summer
Production on the show's second season was postponed this spring to allow Andy Whitfield to be treated for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

[via press release from Starz]

Production on Starz' 'Spartacus' Six-Part Prequel to Begin This Summer

Andy Whitfield to Appear In Two Episodes Along With Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Peter Mensah Plus Other Returning and New Characters

LOS ANGELES, May 11 -- NCTA Cable Show 2010 -- Pre-production is underway on a six-part prequel to Starz' hit original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."

Andy Whitfield, who played the title character in the series, will appear in the prequel briefly, but Lucy Lawless and John Hannah take center stage in this story of the rise of the House of Batiatus and its champions before Spartacus arrives as a captured Thracian slave. With the title still to be determined, the prequel will begin production this summer in New Zealand, and is slated to air on Starz in January 2011.

John Hannah returns as Batiatus, owner of the Ludus, along with his wife Lucretia, played by Lucy Lawless. Other returning actors include Peter Mensah (Doctore), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Antonio Te Maioha (Barca), Nick E. Tarabay (Ashur), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia) - and others. New characters will also be added - most notably the gladiator who was champion of the House of Batiatus before Spartacus or even Crixus - who will help fill in the story about the people and politics in the House of Batiatus and ancient Capua as a whole.

Production on the second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" was postponed this spring to allow Andy Whitfield to be treated for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in New Zealand. His doctors indicate that the actor is responding well.

"The prequel story maintains the excitement and entertainment value of the first season of 'Spartacus,' giving audiences the engaging experience they've come to expect," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht. "We look forward to continuing the Spartacus story."

Produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" was the highest rated show for the 18-49 demographic among all cable networks for 12 of the 13 Fridays on which it aired based on coverage rating.* The production team remains intact for the six-part prequel.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 17.1 million and 31.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz(NASDAQ: LSTZA), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.

*Source: Nielsen Live + SD Coverage Ratings for A18-49 each Friday between 1/29/10 - 4/16/10 among all basic and premium cable channels.





  [may 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SPARTACUS (STARZ)





[07/09/25 - 09:02 AM]
Paramount+ Returns to San Diego with "The Lodge" Fan Experience and Other New Exclusive Brand Activations During Comic-Con International
New this year is the "Paramount+ Mountain Experience" convention floor booth featuring a towering mountain crane challenge, and an outdoor "Nerd Out" fan booth.

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Slaying solo travel like only Tracee can!

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
New OWN Docuseries "Heart & Hustle: Houston" Premieres August 2, Spotlighting a Powerful Sisterhood of Black Women
These women are redefining what it means to be a boss, a wife and a mother while navigating entrepreneurial life plus a labyrinth of unique daily challenges.

[07/09/25 - 08:37 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art, and New Images for Season 2 of "Twisted Metal"
The new season premieres on Peacock with three episodes on July 31, followed by new episodes every Thursday through August 28.

[07/09/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Long Story Short" - Official Teaser - Netflix
From the creator of "BoJack Horseman," a comedy for anyone who has ever loved or hated their family.

[07/09/25 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes" - Official Trailer - Netflix
One of the greatest manhunts in New York City history comes to life in this gripping three-part series.

[07/09/25 - 07:04 AM]
ESPN Original Series "Running with the Wolves" to Premiere July 29 on ESPN and ESPN+
The four-part docuseries follows daytime television icons Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa as they dive headfirst into the high-stakes world of Italian football - not as spectators, but as team owners.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: "The Amateur" - Coming Soon - Hulu
Starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, and Jon Bernthal, the film streams July 17 only on Hulu.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Gripping Teaser for Season Four of "The Morning Show"
The 10-episode fourth season will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 17 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until November 19.

[07/09/25 - 06:02 AM]
GameTV/Paramount+ in Canada Miniseries "Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story" Taps Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor, Mark McKinney, Karen Robinson and Ennis Esmer to Join Cast
The six-episode series is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use.

[07/09/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Wednesday" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Nevermore is back in session as Wednesday tangles with a new principal, a devious campus stalker and a waning grip on her psychic powers.

[07/09/25 - 03:00 AM]
HBO Max Is Back
It's good to be Home.

[07/09/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Letters from the Past" - Official Trailer - Netflix
If I had the chance to live that morning all over again, would I still open the letter?

[07/08/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Nice Guy" - Teaser Trailer #2 - Disney+
One last job. That's what they always say.

[07/08/25 - 06:05 PM]
ESPN Formula 1 Coverage Enjoying Record-Breaking Season of Viewership
11 of 12 races held so far this season have had year-over-year viewership growth and seven of the 12 have set event viewership records.