Is NBC Bringing XENA back?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, among the ever-growing number of reboots happening on large and small screens is NBC’s Xena: Warrior Princess reboot. Reportedly, this beloved Lucy Lawless action-adventure drama is still in the extremely early development stages, with the show still searching for a writer.
Original executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi are involved in the project, calling it a “modern reboot.” THR’s sources say the producers of the new Xena are looking for a “sophisticated and smart superhero for a new generation.”
The original series premiered 20 years ago as a Hercules spin-off and stayed in syndication for six seasons. The show ran from September 1995 – June 2001. Audiences and producers clearly still see how popular the Xena character and Lawless are, both being cult favorites and having garnered top ratings during syndication.
This reboot comes at a time when science fiction and fantasy have never been more accepted and mainstream, and at a time when networks are scrambling to find content they know will entertain audiences. This perfect combination has led them back to a show that fills both roles.
Lawless has been vocal recently about her desire to bring Xena back, essentially pitching the Xena reboot to HitFix at Comic-Con saying, “I’ve been pitching that show … because … there’s a swell of interest still,” she said. “I don’t know what the hold-up is; it’s about who has got the rights,” she added. “But that’s a piss-poor excuse anymore. Find who has got the rights, freakin’ pay it. It’s better to have 80 percent of something than 100 percent of nothing. Don’t waste this opportunity; reinvigorate that franchise!” she said, stressing the show’s international appeal. “It’s an insane international character. They’re fools not to bring it back. It’s funny, it’s sexy, it’s action.”
She has also been vocal about her desire to play her character again. Despite the fact that [spoiler alert] Xena dies in the series finale, it is still too early to know what Lawless’ role in the series will be, in front of or behind the camera. Since the show’s end, Lawless has been busy with a multitude of projects in film and television with roles in Battlestar Galactica, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Spartacus: War of the Damned, Parks and Recreation, Ash vs. the Evil Dead, and she has appeared on SciFi4Me favorite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The NBC and NBC Universal International show is looking to premiere in 2016, but it’s too early to know how long of a season it will be granted. Insiders, and fans alike, hope it will be an ongoing series with Lawless back in action as the beloved Xena.
