UPDATE: 4:50PM
Former Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless has denied the reported Xena reboot as “just a rumor!” THR has not yet issued a retraction of their report at this time. To read more about Lawless’ statement, click here. Our original post on the story remains below.
At Comic-Con International, former Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless enthusiastically told CraveOnline about her desire to see a Xena reboot, with either a younger Xena or an older Xena that would allow Lawless to reprise her role as the title character.
Lawless may get her wish. According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC is developing a new Xena: Warrior Princess series alongside original producers, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. Lawless is married to Tapert, but she is also currently co-starring in Ash vs Evil Dead on STARS, and it’s unclear if she will have any role in the Xena remake.
NBC’s plan is apparently “a modern reboot” for Xena, but the network does want Lawless on board in some capacity. It’s also unknown if NBC is eyeing Xena as a regular series or an event miniseries. Currently, the network is looking for a writer to bring Xena’s new adventures to life.
Related: Lucy Lawless Talks Ash vs Evil Dead!
Xena was originally introduced as a supporting character in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. In 1995, Lawless’ breakout character was given her own show, and Xena: Warrior Princess was an international hit for six seasons. Renee O’Connor co-starred in the series as Gabrielle, and Lawless’ Ash vs Evil Dead co-star, Bruce Campbell also had a recurring role on Xena as a brazen (but good-hearted) thief named Autolycus. Xena: Warrior Princess was created by Tapert and his collaborator, John Schulian. Raimi and Tapert also served as executive producers on the original series.
The popularity of Xena may have waned, but the original series still has a sizable following. NBC’s Xena reboot is tentatively scheduled to debut in 2016.
Xena fans, how do you feel about possibly getting an all-new Xena series? Let us know in the comment section below!
