THR.com reports that Starz, the network of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, is currently casting for its prequel series to the show: Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. The project will run for six episodes next January and begins production next month. Gods of the Arena came about due to the delay in production for the parent series following news that star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with cancer. Whitfield has since gotten a clean bill of health and Blood and Sand will begin production immediately after production of Gods of the Arena wraps.
Dustin Claire has just been cast in the lead role of Gannicus, the
champion gladiator in the House of Batiatus before Spartacus came
along. Jaime Murray (Dexter) will portray a Capua social
climber and Marisa Ramirez (General Hospital) has been cast as a slave girl. Gods will feature the following storylines: Batiatus (John Hannah) is not yet the head of his
family nor of the gladiator training school. Gannicus is the lead
gladiator in the Ludus, but the House of Batiatus hasn’t earned
social respect or the right for its gladiators to fight in
championship bouts. Gannicus struggles to turn around the House’s
luck. Whitfield will make a cameo.
5 comments
This show really grew on me. The pilot was pretty awful, but by the finale, with its mix of campy soap opera and inventive violence, really made for some fun tv. Looking forward to this, and the return of the series proper.
Jaime Murray's English. Very, very English.
Yeah, thanks Ryan, I amended the article. Went by what the source article said. Gotta check everything nowadays.
I went into this show to rip the piss out of its over the top CG blood and no doubt cheesy acting. But by golly if I weren't watching it for proper by episode 3 or 4. A well made, well-paced show that features numerous creative ways to use the term 'cock' and John Hannah giving us a Roman version of Malcolm Tucker. A decent smattering of boobies and bum too.
I'd like to also chime in to offer praise. This show improved steadily and by episode 4 was truly entertaining. I can't blame anyone for tuning out after the first episode, but for those that stayed, you were treated to the arrival of an honest-to-god soap opera tailored for men. Characters you come to care about, sex, violence, humor, it's all there. I've never been more pleasantly surprised by a TV show than by this one. In fairness, I do believe Deadline had this news a few days before THR.
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