Into The Spartaverse With House Of Ashur
The Gods have truly shown favour with the announcement of the upcoming Starz series Spartacus: House of Ashur.
For those of you who are not aware, Spartacus is an epic historical drama series that aired on Starz from 2010 to 2013, consisting of four series: Blood and Sand, Gods of the Arena, Vengeance and War of the Damned. Set in ancient Rome, the show follows the story of Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator who becomes a symbol of hope and rebellion against the oppressive Roman Empire. With its gripping storyline, intense action sequences, and graphic depiction of violence, the series captivated audiences worldwide. What set Spartacus apart was its unique visual style, combining hyper-realistic violence with a stylized and highly saturated colour palette, giving the show a distinct and visceral look. The performances were also outstanding, with Andy Whitfield and subsequently, Liam McIntyre delivering compelling and emotionally charged portrayals of Spartacus. Despite the tragic loss of Whitfield to cancer, the series continued with McIntyre, maintaining its high quality and delivering a satisfying conclusion. Spartacus stands as a testament to the power of storytelling, showcasing the indomitable spirit of a man who defies all odds for the sake of freedom and justice.
Now, ten years after the epic series finale, creator Steven DeKnight takes us back into the Spartaverse to the joy of fans (me included) everywhere. House of Ashur doesn’t serve as a direct continuation, instead taking us on a ‘What If’ journey, bringing back the titular character, and cunning, devious git Ashur, played once again by Nick E. Tarabay. According to an article in Deadline, Starz describes the series as “a history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience” that builds on the original series, Spartacus. It will ask, “What if Ashur 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 [John Hannah] in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and ending the slave rebellion?”
As arguably one of Spartacus’ greatest fans (I will die on that hill), I always wanted to see a continuation of this world. I remember back in the day, once the series had come to an end, there was talk of a spin-off series revolving around the character of Caesar. However, that was pretty much just internet chatter from a legion of Spartacus fans that didn’t want the epic series to end, only ever be relived in replays, which, at this point, is sitting at just shy of forty for myself.
The truth is, it remained forever unlikely, and something that we could only ever hope for. After all, creators, writers, actors, and producers… eventually move on. One can’t live their entire career through a single body of work. That being said, Spartacus is so wonderfully unique in its idea, its writing, its stylization, its masterful use of language, its…. well, in all aspects of filmmaking, that it’s easy to miss it greatly, and long for more. In every viewing, I’ve said ‘I wish there was more’. There’s a sort of comfort that Spartacus brought, and still brings every time that I watch it. There is so much depth to the story, so much emotion and heart that sits high atop the sex and the violence of it. It is truly an incredible piece of work. In my view: a masterpiece, even.
As I sat on X in the early hours of the morning (I don’t know why) I was surprised to see a post about House of Ashur, which I initially dismissed as fake wishful thinking. However, as I searched the internet with frenzied excitement, like Geppetto unboxing his latest delivery of puppet parts, the greatest news in recent television history was confirmed.
Returning to the character of Ashur would have been the last thing to enter my mind when thinking about what I new series might look like. That being said, it probably holds some of the greatest story potential. Ashur was such a magnificent stand-out character, thanks to great writing and his portrayal by Nick E. Tarabay, that there is a wealth of dastardly shit to work with. I can only imagine the level of smug bastardry that Ashur will bring as he plots and schemes upon his Ludus’ throne, but I am in for the ride 100%.
As of yet, it is early days, so no news on what other characters, returning and new, will grace the screen, I’m not going to speculate wildly, but wait for the news as it breaks. No matter who and what, I could not be any happier.
Are you looking forward to Stay tuned for more news. Oh, and check out this resurfaced sneaky tweet for Mr DeKnight, himself. Dated November 29, 2019…
For more Spartacus-related articles. check out Screen Nut’s interviews with Barry Duffield (Lugo) and Ditch Davey (Nemetes) by clicking on the image.
Barry Duffield
Ditch Davey