The latest series in Starz’s Spartacus franchise, Spartacus: House of Ashur, has begun filming in New Zealand. To celebrate the occasion, the network revealed during its panel at TCA’s Summer Press Tour that several actors in the show’s expanded cast will join Nick Tarabay (The Expanse), who is reprising his role as Ashur in the series.
If you watched 2012’s Spartacus: Vengeance, you might be confused about how there’s a series now centered on Ashur. The show’s official synopsis explains things:
Spartacus: House of Ashur will be a history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit. The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, 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?
Joining Tarabay on-screen is Graham McTavish (pictured above, whose previous credits include Outlander and The Witcher). McTavish is playing “Korris,” a former gladiator who won his freedom in the arena and is now Ashur’s Doctore, training the gladiators in Ashur’s Ludus.
Other actors joining the cast include Tenika Davis as “Achillia,” a female gladiator driven to surpass her male counterparts; Jamaica Vaughan as “Hilara,” a young, elevated house slave, deeply in love with Ashur; Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shannara Chronicles), as “Messia,” a house slave in love with Hilara; Jordi Webber as “Tarchon,” a brash and headstrong gladiator; Claudia Black (The Nevers, Ahsoka) as “Cossutia,” a politician determined to keep Ashur in his place and constantly plotting his downfall; India Shaw-Smith (Supernatural) as “Viridia,” Cossutia’s daughter; and Leigh Gill as “Satyrus,” the leader of the Brothers Ferox, gladiators from a rival Ludus.
So many characters are deeply in love with other characters! That’s no surprise given the shows before it. In 2010, Starz debuted Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which was soon followed in 2011 by the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, in 2012 by Spartacus: Vengeance, and in 2013 with Spartacus: War of the Damned. House of Ashur sees Starz returning to the franchise after a decade. Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil) serves as showrunner and executive producer.
No news yet on when House of Ashur will premiere on Starz.
