Starz officially greenlit a Spartacus sequel series, which will see Nick Tarabay reprising the villainous role of Ashur. The project, which was formally announced back in February, will be titled House of Ashur. It’ll be written and executive produced by franchise creator Steven S. DeKnight, who also serves as showrunner on the sequel show.
“Spartacus: House of Ashur will be a history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit,” per the official press release. “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?”
Spartacus has a long history as a franchise on Starz, beginning with Spartacus: Blood and Sand in 2010. That was followed by the prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in 2011. Two additional titles, Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned, followed in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
“To be afforded the opportunity to return a decade later to a series you loved is such a rare, wonderful opportunity,” DeKnight, also a showrunner on Netflix’s Daredevil, shared in a statement. “I could not be more excited to craft this next chapter in the Spartacus saga with STARZ, Lionsgate, and the incomparable Nick Tarabay.”
“A decade ago the groundbreaking original Spartacus captivated viewers worldwide and we’re excited to deliver more enthralling, high-octane drama that our fervent fans have been anticipating,” shared Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz. “It is an honor to team up with Steven again as he expands upon the storytelling within this thrilling, action-packed universe.”
House of Ashur will be produced by Lionsgate Television for Starz. Karen Bailey will oversee the series on behalf of Starz. Jocelyn Sabo will oversee for Lionsgate Television. DeKnight serves as showrunner and executive producer.
