The Xena: Warrior Princess reboot is off the table at NBC
NBC is no longer going forward its planned Xena: Warrior Princess reboot, according to THR. The show was originally to have been written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost). Today, NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke told the site that the reboot in its current form is no longer happening.
“Nothing is happening on that right now. We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot. I’d never say never on that one because it’s such a beloved title, but the current incarnation of it is dead.”
Xena: Warrior Princess starred Lucy Lawless and aired in syndication from September 4, 1995, until June 18, 2001.
Inspired by Greek mythology and filtered through a tongue-in-cheek blend of action and slapstick, Xena: Warrior Princess also starred Renée O’Connor as Gabrielle, Xena’s companion and traveling bard, with frequent appearances by Ted Raimi (Sam Raimi’s brother) as Joxer and Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, the King of Thieves. Lawless and Campbell are currently working together on the Starz series, Ash vs. Evil Dead, also produced by Raimi and Tapert.
Xena: Warrior Princess, which was a spinoff of the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, has gained a strong cult following over the years, particularly in the lesbian community. The show even spawned a convention that ran until 2015. It was praised by fans and critics for its two strong female protagonists. Grillo-Marxuach announced his departure from the project in April citing “creative differences.” He told THR in 2016 that he would have explored the implied romantic and sexual relationship between Xena and Gabrielle in the reboot.
“There is no reason to bring back Xena if it is not there for the purpose of fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s,”
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