‘House of Ashur’ Will Take ‘Spartacus’ on a ‘What If’ Journey
The Spartacus series ended its run on Starz in 2013, but it hasn’t left my mind. Spartacus, literally and figuratively, is my Roman Empire. And now series creator Steven S. DeKnight is back with Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Spartacus: House of Ashur brings back villain Ashur (Nick Tarabay) as the head of the familiar ludus (gladiator school) formerly owned by Quintus Batiatus. Ashur once trained as a gladiator; he lacked skill even though he had the fundamentals down. When Cirxus grievously injured him in the ring, Ashur’s fate was sealed as someone who wouldn’t find his glory as a gladiator. Instead, he schemed and backstabbed his way to being Batiatus’s right-hand man. Since he couldn’t fight as a gladiator, he wanted to rule over them.
At the end of Spartacus, most of the heroes and villains wound up dead. The bloodbath included Ashur. The slave-turned-warrior Naevia decapitated Ashur in one of the most gratifying scenes in the series. Ashur deserved it for everything he had done to the gladiators, and Naevia was the perfect person to dispense that justice. So just how will Ashur return?
In announcing the new series, Starz said: “The series poses the question: 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 in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?”
It’s unclear how this new show changes the ending and legacy of the Spartacus series. As a huge fan of Spartacus, I’m not sure this sequel is necessary, especially since it focuses on such an evil character, but I’ll give it a chance.
What is the Spartacus: House of Ashur release window?
Currently, the series is only listed as “in development” without a definite release date. However, since Starz announced the series in early 2023, House of Ashur might drop in late 2024. However, 2025 would be a safer bet.
What is the plot of Spartacus: House of Ashur?
The 10-episode series will follow former gladiator Ashur as the new head of the gladiator school formerly owned by the Batiatus family. Starz said in an official statement, “In the aftermath of the defeat of Spartacus and his rebel army, the drama will depict a new tale of treachery, deceit, and blood unfolding beneath the foreboding shadow of Rome.”
Who is in the cast of Spartacus: House of Ashur?
As of this writing, only Nick Tarabay as Ashur is confirmed to be in the cast. Since this series almost creates an alternate timeline, it will be hard to say if any other folks from the original Spartacus series will return for major parts or cameos. Only a few of the original gladiators who participated in Spartacus’s rebellion survived. I hope Agron and Nasir are happy on their goat farm and don’t get pulled back into the messy world of gladiators.
(featured image: Starz)
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