Move over, Xena! Deadline reports that Lucy Lawless is set to return to her other iconic role, that of Lucretia in the upcoming Spartacus: House of Ashur series.
Sadly, Lawless’ return won’t be as a series regular, but as a guest-starring role in the premiere. The report states that her appearance “will be instrumental in setting up the ‘what if’ alternate timeline.” In a statement on X, creator Steven DeKnight said, “The gods bless the House of Ashur! Thrilled to have the amazing [Lucy Lawless] dropping in to grace us with her awesome presence!“
House of Ashur is described as a “history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit. The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance? And what if he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?” Lawless appeared in the first two seasons of Spartacus, as well as the prequel series, and was just fantastic. It’s a treat to have her back for House of Ashur, even if it is just for a guest-starring role.
Nick Tarabay will be reprising the role of Ashur, a former gladiator who used his cunning to serve the house of Batiatus and later the Romans in the original series. The rest of the main cast includes Graham McTavish (The Witcher), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), Claudia Black (Farscape), India Shaw-Smith (The Pines Still Whisper), and Leigh Gill (Joker).
The first season of Spartacus, subtitled Blood and Sand, tells the story of the man who would become Spartacus as he’s sold into slavery and trained to become a gladiator. Filled to the brim with gruesome blood and sexual content, Spartacus was something to behold, particularly with its unique visual style and scripting. Tragically, Andy Whitfield, who played the title character, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later died, but not before giving his blessing that the series should continue. Following a prequel series, Liam McIntyre took over the role for Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned.