Watch Spartacus, Spartacus Blood and Sand Season 2, Spartacus Series

“I am Spartacus!”


“I am Spartacus!” Those three immortal words were the first thought that seized my brain when I was approached by Starz and Ghost House Pictures to reimagine the classic historical tale. The second thought was fueled by pure fanboy glee: I’d be executive producing alongside Rob Tapert, Josh Donen, and one of my cinematic idols, Sam Raimi. And then my third thought hit. Spartacus. Stanley Kubrick, Kirk Douglas, Howard Fast, Dalton Trumbo. An epic achievement. A bold statement against the dark days of McCarthyism, The Black List, and Naming Names. One of my favorite films of all time. How do I top that?

There’s good news for fans of Spartacus: Blood and Sand! Starz announced today that the series has been picked up for a second season. Ok, if you’re among the people anticipating this new show, you’re probably wondering if they missed the premiere and to that, the answer is no. The first season won’t premiere until January 2010 but apparently, the pay-cable network is so confident that the it will be a success that they’re already moving forward on season two, tentatively titled Spartacus: Vengeance.

Vengeance! Oooh, sounds good already. Who doesn’t love a little vengeance in a TV show? The Blood and Sand portion of the series premieres January 22nd (10:00 p.m. ET/PT), so it’s likely that people aren’t going to be jumping for joy over the second-season pickup just yet. All the same, the network’s confidence in the show will make it easier for those of us who do plan to tune in to get comfortably invested in it, knowing that there’s definitely a second season in the works.
Starz Gives Second Season Order To Spartacus Series

How much consultation, access, or input do you have from historians? I am curious about what kind of feedback about accuracy you may have gotten.


We have two fantastic historical consultants, Aaron Irvin and Jeffrey Stevens. They are instrumental in our attempt to remain as historically accurate as possible. However, Spartacus: Blood and Sand is designed first and foremost as entertainment. I’ve often said that while we may bend history, we try to never break it. But I will always opt for what delivers the most dramatic impact over a strict adherence to historical fact. When I do stray, Aaron and Jeff point it out – often loudly and passionately. They deconstruct each script down to the very syllable, and no inaccuracy escapes their attention. Their input has been invaluable, even when story or budget force us away from 100% adherence to their wisdom on the subject.


In an interesting side note, there were quite a few denizens of the internet and professional reviewers that decried our lack of historical accuracy based solely on the use of profanity that they erroneously identified as anachronistic. Absolutely not true. Early on I asked Aaron and Jeff about profanity in ancient Rome, and they sent me a delightful rundown on all the vulgarities that have been cited either in recorded documents or ancient graffiti.

If there was ever an era that was perfect to be made into a pay-cable TV series, it's ancient Rome. Courtly intrigue, coupled with the excesses that the Romans indulged in -- glorious conquest, opulent wealth, killing for entertainment, sex as a distraction from boredom -- form the perfect recipe for mass entertainment. Why else do you think Gladiator won an Academy Award? The HBO series Rome tried to capture that glory, and succeeded; unfortunately, it was too expensive to last more than two seasons. Starz is following a different route, however -- they're emulating the film 300, which re-created ancient Greece on a budget by using computers and green screens. There are sets in Spartacus, of course, but they're far from the massive exteriors of Rome, and most of their characters (like the Spartans in 300), require very little costuming. I don't know what budgetary category "washboard abs" falls under (catering?), but it ain't costumes.