So, we took that idea and expanded it, as the seed, and grew the tree of the prequel. We had planned a flashback episode, centering on Batiatus and his father, that probably would have been amounted to eight or nine scenes in the flashback. Was it difficult to create a prequel out of sequence?ĭeKNIGHT: Because we practically chopped John Hannah’s head off at the end of Season 1, unless he’s a head in a jar, we had to go back in time. We called him up to see if he was available, and luckily he was, and was excited to come back and do the show. Then, about a month later, Starz popped up and said, “How about six hours?,” which was just the perfect length for everybody, so we all agreed that would be great. A few weeks later, Rob suggested that we do a four-hour prequel, but four hours didn’t work creatively because it’s too long for a concise story and not long enough to tell a really complicated story, so it died a second time. It was complicated and it would have been more trouble than it was worth, so it died. But, two hours wasn’t long enough to really fill the hole that they had.
So, I took the idea of a flashback episode in Season 2 and approached (executive producer) Rob Tapert and Starz with the possibility of doing a two-hour movie to air in January 2011, just to keep the show alive. Unfortunately, when Andy fell ill, we had to halt production and the concern became, “How are we going to keep fans interested in the show?” Looking at the calendar, we would be off the air for 18 months, and to be off the air for a year and a half, after you’ve just had your first season, can be a little tricky. That would be great.” There are a couple of things that Batiatus mentions in Season 1, about his father and about things that happened, that I thought would be great to revisit. John had such a great time on the show that he had expressed interest in coming back, if we could find a way to bring him back, so I said, “Yeah, absolutely. DeKNIGHT: It came about because originally, in Season 2, right around mid-season, I had planned to do a flashback episode with John Hannah. Question: How did this prequel come about? Check out what he had to say after the jump: He also talked about where he plans to head with Season 2, which will be called Spartacus: Vengeance, and the choice of actor Liam McIntyre to take over the title role.
DeKnight talked about the prequel’s genesis, getting to explore some of the early history of characters that couldn’t be delved into more deeply in Blood and Sand, following the same tone and style of violence and nudity that the series has become known for, and book-ending this mini-series with the Spartacus character to tie everything together. Together, they will stop at nothing to deceive the masses, seize power and bleed Capua dry.ĭuring a recent interview to talk about Gods of the Arena, show creator/head writer/executive producer Steven S. Batiatus (John Hannah) will freely betray anyone to ensure his gladiators are in the highest demand, and his loyal and calculating wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) is by his side for every underhanded scheme, drawing on the talents of her seductive friend Gaia (Jaime Murray) when needed. Going back a few years prior, this mini-series showcases the time when the House of Batiatus is on the rise and basking in the glow of its infamous champion Gannicus (Dustin Clare), whose skill with a sword is matched only by his thirst for wine and women. The new Starz original drama series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is the prequel to the popular first season, Spartacus: Blood and Sand.