|
Starz' Spartacus: Blood and Sand goes Graphic
Starz' anticipated gladiator drama "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is due on the smallscreen by 2010. Hailed as one of the most realistic depictions of Roman gladiator life, the series has also spawned a Graphic/Comic book series.
Devil’s Due Publishing and Starz announced today their collaborative launch of the comic book mini-series this October based on the network’s upcoming series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.”
Award-winning producers/filmmakers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen will serve as executive producers on the program, along with Steven S. DeKnight, who will also be the show’s head writer.
DeKnight spoke with Monsters and Critics at the winter TCA press junket in January about "Spartacus," and what to expect from the smallscreen series.
"We're not going for horror movie brutality...Much like '300', there was a certain visual beauty in the way they shot it. So, it is almost an era of violence. It is an ode to violence when the fights actually happen. We are definitely not shying away from it."
"The other part of this is the sexuality of the times, it was very different kind of sexual feeling, particularly with the slave class where it was completely acceptable to have sex with your slaves, even inside a marriage. Usually it was fine for a man to have sex with female slaves and sometimes the male slaves. It was a little bit trickier for the women, but we don;t want to shy away from either the violence or the sexuality of the period. We're trying not to put it on screen just becasue we can. We want it to come from the story that if this story leads us to an extremely violent incident, we want to be able to show it and the same thing sexually."
Read full article
Official Spartacus Blood and Sand Forum
Starz Entertainment has created an official forum for Spartacus. Not much going on at the moment, just an official press release about the casting. You can subscribe and join in the fun when the show starts in 2010.
SPARTACUS - The deafening roar of the crowd. A piercing thrust of the sword. Destined for great unfortunate things.
Click here to go to the Official Forum
Many thanks to Adi and Lara for the news
Spartacus: Blood and Sand Comic Series
Devil’s Due Publishing (DDP) and Starz combine forces to launch a comic book mini-series this October based on the network’s upcoming series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” Award-winning producers/filmmakers Rob Tapert (The Grudge, “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and Evil Dead), and Joshua Donen (The Quick and the Dead) will serve as executive producers on the program, along with Steven S. DeKnight (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Smallville,” “Dollhouse”), who will also be the show’s head writer.
“Spartacus: Blood and Sand” will be a provocative, violent and sexy television series chronicling the life of the famous Ancient Roman gladiator and his rise to fame. Actor John Hannah (The Mummy films) has signed on to play the devious Batiatus, the owner of the gladiator school and husband of Lucretia (action TV favorite Lucy Lawless), his scheming, insatiable wife. The series stars Andy Whitfield in the title role, a Thracian Soldier in the Roman Auxiliary who was taken prisoner and condemned to die in the gladiator arena.
Read More..
Gladiators in Training - Blog and Video
Haas Duman is a gladiator on Spartacus and he has created a blog about the training. The blog also contains pics and video.
I'm not sure how long Haas is going to have his site up but it's interesting to see behind the scenes training for the gladiators on Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
YouTube Videos
Blog Entries
* Gladiators training DAY 2
* Gladiators training DAY 1
News contributed by Barbara Davies
Lucy Going Back to Old Times
Xena's Newest Mission - Chicago Tribune 5 April 2009
Lucy Lawless Going Back to Old Times in "Spartacus"
Article about Lucy's involvement in the show and the role she has been cast in.
Added scan of the article.
Click here to view
Andy and Erin At Star Trek Auckland Premiere
Star Trek Premiere In Auckland
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 09: Actors Andy Whitfield and Erin Cummings of 'Spartacus' arrive on the red carpet for the Premier of 'Star Trek' at Sky City Cinemas on April 9, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty Images):
Click here to view image
News contributed by Barbara Davies
Casting News - John Hannah is Batiatus
Scottish actor John Hannah has been cast in the role of Batiatus according to The Official Xena Fan Club Page. This news hasn't been officially announced yet through the usual outlets as yet.
Check out John Hannah's Wiki page
and John Hannah Dot Net - a fan site for John
Gladiator's attack on Hollywood
From Taranaki Daily News - 6 April 2009
His character is a doomed gladiator called Kerza and Hawera-born actor Karl Drinkwater is using him to make it in Hollywood.
Spartacus is the latest mythical action TV show to be filmed in New Zealand, following in the footsteps of the hugely popular Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess productions of the 1990s.
It is loosely based on the story of Spartacus, the Thracian man who supposedly led a slave revolt against the toga-wearing Romans about 100BC.
The production will bring New Zealand's favourite action woman Lucy Lawless back to the screen and this time Drinkwater too, a Taranaki lad now based in Auckland.
For Drinkwater the involvement in the big budget American production is a chance to take his career to the international stage.
|
