BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.,
Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The most
celebrated STARZ Originals franchise, "Spartacus," will
continue to wow audiences worldwide with a renewal secured for a
thrilling and bloody third season. The green light comes well in
advance of "Spartacus: Vengeance," which will debut
exclusively on STARZ - Friday, January
27, 2012 at 10PM
ET/PT.
As yet untitled, production on the third season of
"Spartacus" is expected to begin in New Zealand in early 2012.
Starz Media Managing Director Carmi
Zlotnik commented, "There is no denying the impact
'Spartacus' has had in the marketplace with fans across the globe
thirsting for the continuation of the epic tale. 'Vengeance' brings
unparalleled action and drama to STARZ viewers in January. We are
thrilled to come to an early agreement that allows the writers and
talent to get right back to work in preparing for season
three."
"Many surprises are in store for 'Vengeance' viewers this year,
but rest assured the multi-layered plot and richly developed
characters will continue to be a trademark of this series," said
Rob Tapert, executive producer.
"It's incredibly gratifying to see how the story has resonated so
well with viewers worldwide."
"The executives at Starz have been extremely supportive in
giving us creative freedom and allowing us to tell the story in a
rich, yet bold way that leaves an indelible mark on its fans,"
added Steven S. DeKnight, executive
producer.
The most recent chapter of "Spartacus" was the prequel,
"Gods of the Arena," which ran in January
2011 and averaged an estimated 6.2 million total viewers per
episode across all linear channels and on-demand viewing.
Australian actor Liam
McIntyre (Ektopos, Radev, "Neighbours," "The
Pacific") assumes the title role of Spartacus in "Vengeance."
McIntyre is joined by returning favorites: Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess,"
"Battlestar Galactica") as Lucretia; Peter Mensah (Avatar, 300, The
Incredible Hulk) as Oenomaus – once known as Doctore;
Manu Bennett (The Marine,
30 Days of Night), as Crixus; Dustin
Clare ("Underbelly," "Satisfaction") as Gannicus;
Nick E. Tarabay ("Crash,"
"CSI: Miami") as Ashur; and
Katrina Law ("Third Watch")
as Mira.
Season two also brings the return of "Blood and Sand" cast
members, Craig Parker
(The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) as Gaius Claudius
Glaber, the Roman commander who condemned Spartacus to slavery, and
his alluring and cunning wife Ilithyia played by Viva Bianca (Accidents Happen).
Actress Cynthia
Addai-Robinson ("Dirt") joins the series as Naevia, the
former body slave to Lucretia who was banished from the Ludus for
engaging in a love affair with Crixus.
Premiering exclusively on STARZ, "Spartacus: Vengeance"
is produced by executive producers Rob
Tapert (The Grudge, "Xena: Warrior Princess" and
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"), Steven
S. DeKnight ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and The Evil
Dead), and Joshua Donen (The
Quick and the Dead). "Spartacus" is distributed
internationally by Starz Media Worldwide Distribution.
About Starz Media
Starz Media, LLC, is a programming production and distribution
company operating worldwide. It includes the Anchor Bay
Entertainment, Anchor Bay Films, Film Roman and Manga Entertainment
brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming and
programming created under contract for other media companies. It
distributes that content, and programming acquired from outside
producers, through home video retailers, broadcasters, ad-supported
and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video
distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media
(www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media
Corporation attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group
(NASDAQ: LSTZA).
About Starz Entertainment
Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original
programming entertainment service provider operating in
the United States. The company
offers 16 premium channels including the flagship STARZ® and
ENCORE® brands with approximately 19 million and 32.9 million
subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total
more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its
pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV
leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced
services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz
Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC,
which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and
is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group (NASDAQ:
LSTZA).
Contacts:
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Theano Apostolou
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Eric Becker
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Starz
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Starz
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424.204.4052
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720.852.4065
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theano@starz.com
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eric.becker@starz.com
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SOURCE Starz Entertainment