Spartacus is coming back to Auckland, but will the series’ A-list actors Manu Bennett and Lucy Lawless return too?

Spy can reveal that 10 years after last filming in Auckland, Spartacus will be back filming here next year.

Spartacus: The House of Ashur is the new revival series by franchise creator Steven S DeKnight and Starz television network. Entertainment insiders tell Spy pre-production is close to being underway at X3 studios in South Auckland.

The confirmed star of the show is Nick Tarabay, who will reunite with DeKnight to reprise the role of the titular Ashur, the villain from the original series.

Starz describes the series as a history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on the original series. It will ask - What if Ashur 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 ending the slave rebellion?

Lawless co-starred in the original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand in the role of Lucretia and her husband Rob Tapert was a producer on the show, but there is no word if Tapert is part of the latest production.

Lawless’ character was the wife of Batiatus, both were the owners of a Ludus (gladiator training school) and the series also saw Lawless doing nude scenes for the first time. Lawless reprised her role in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and she also returned for the sequel Spartacus: Vengeance.

With the reimagining of the past in The House of Ashur there has been speculation that Lawless could theoretically reprise her role in a scenario that may see Ashur assume not only control of Batiatus’s Ludus, but also claim his wife as well.

Bennett played the key role of gladiator Crixus and was the only cast member of the series who starred in all four seasons, as well as starring in the most episodes of this series. His work on The Hobbit, Spartacus, Arrow and The Shannara Chronicles sees him a fan favourite at Comic-Cons worldwide.

But Bennett, who has recently been back in NZ for a project, and was last on our screens in The Gone, is currently in Dubai and told Spy he was not part of the series’ revival.

“Even though I won’t be a part of this new gladiatorial world, the original Spartacus series gave me and so many New Zealand actors and crew a huge opportunity to practise and improve our craft,” Bennett tells Spy.

“I wish Steven DeKnight and his next Spartacus-themed chapter continued success.”

The series was indeed huge for NZ actors and crew, and industry experts are excited as to what the show will bring the next time around.

Spy is told the series will start filming early next year for several months which will bring huge money into the local industry and fingers are crossed that a second series may be green-lit too.

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