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)




[05/09/24 - 02:31 PM]
ID's New Series "Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders" Examines the Insidious, Dark Underbelly of the Digital World
The new, six-episode series unpacks shocking true crime stories involving influencers and digital communities across the social media landscape.

[05/09/24 - 02:07 PM]
National Geographic Announces Second Season of Disney+ Original Series, "Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory"
With filming currently underway, the National Geographic Explorer and BAFTA-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory and his team will travel to the most spectacular corners of our planet to take viewers deep into the natural world and showcase extraordinary animal lives.
[05/09/24 - 02:02 PM]
A Dynamic Lineup of Fresh Originals, Exclusive Live Sports, Returning Hits and Beloved Franchises Supercharge NBCUniversal's Cable Portfolio Across Bravo, E!, Oxygen True Crime, Syfy and USA Network for 2024-25 Season
New series highlights across the portfolio include "Making It in Manhattan" (Bravo), "Revival" (Syfy) and "Untitled Cori Broadus and Snoop Dogg Project" (E!).
[05/09/24 - 12:32 PM]
Paramount+'s "Frasier" Starring Kelsey Grammer Starts Production on Season Two
Peri Gilpin will also reprise the iconic role of Roz Doyle as a recurring guest star, with the legendary James Burrows returning to direct two episodes of the new season.

[05/09/24 - 12:30 PM]
National Geographic Orders New Season Pick-Up of Award-Winning Series, "Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller"
Production is currently underway, with Peabody and duPont Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller continuing her harrowing exploration into the inner workings of the most dangerous black markets on the planet.
[05/09/24 - 11:38 AM]
"Law & Order: Organized Crime" Moves to Peacock for Upcoming Fifth Season
John Shiban is returning as showrunner for season five.
[05/09/24 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Exploding Kittens" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Earth sucks, so God (Tom Ellis) gets fired and sent to Earth to reconnect with humanity. The catch? He's trapped in the body of a chubby house cat.

[05/09/24 - 11:00 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases Official Trailer for Riveting Sci-Fi Thriller "Orphan Black: Echoes" Premiering Sunday, June 23
Set in the near future, "Orphan Black: Echoes" takes a deep dive into the exploration of the scientific manipulation of human existence.
[05/09/24 - 10:13 AM]
Hulu Teases First Peek at Dame Jilly Cooper's "Rivals" Coming in 2024
Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Katherine Parkinson, Bella Maclean and David Tennant star in the eight-part series, based on the celebrated novel by Dame Jilly Cooper.
[05/09/24 - 10:04 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces New True-Crime Docuseries "The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror," Streaming Only on Hulu Beginning Thursday, May 16
The new true-crime docuseries delves into the harrowing stories of the women who survived rampaging killer Christopher Wilder.
[05/09/24 - 10:02 AM]
FX's "The Bear" - Season Three Premieres June 27 Exclusively on Hulu
The first teaser for Season 3 was also released today and is available here - along with a first-look image.
[05/09/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This six-part documentary series from director Joe Berlinger explores the shocking rise and fall of Hitler and his enablers who were fueled through propaganda, censorship and a campaign of antisemitism.
[05/09/24 - 09:59 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Jaw Dropping Trailer and Key Art for Fourth and Final Season of "Power Book II: Ghost"
Part one of "Power Book II: Ghost" debuts on Friday, June 7, at midnight ET on the Starz app, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of "Power's" debut on Starz.
[05/09/24 - 09:59 AM]
The CW New Series "The Big Bakeover" Premieres June 14
Bakery expert, business professional and author Nancy Birtwhistle is on a mission traveling across America to save struggling bakeries.

[05/09/24 - 09:48 AM]
Special Episode of "Cold Justice" Airs Sunday, May 12 at 8:00PM ET/PT on Oxygen True Crime
The all-new special episode will follow prosecutor Kelly Siegler as she shares exclusive updates on past cases, answers burning questions, and catches up with victims' family members and fan-favorite cops, to bring audiences an inside look into the justice they're bringing to the victims.