NBC’s ‘Xena’ reboot is getting closer to reality as former ‘Lost’ scribe Javier Grillo-Marxuach has been tapped to pen the pilot. Grillo-Marxuach won awards for his ‘Lost’ work and has also written for TV shows like ‘Helix’, ‘Charlie’s Angels’, ‘The Middleman’, ‘Medium’, ‘Boomtown’, ‘The Chronicle’ and ‘Charmed’.
In addition to writing the show, Grillo-Marxuach will co-executive produce with creators Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi.
Reportedly, the reboot will focus on a new “modern” Xena. It’s not clear if they simply mean a new actor will be stepping into the role, since original Xena, Lucy Lawless admitted that her action hero days were behind her. Or could this mean that the show will take place in a modern setting? That might be too big a change for fans of the original series which took place in ancient times. Producers are said to be seeking an actor with the charisma and charm of Lawless with the smarts of ‘The Hunger Games” Katniss Everdeen to be “a sophisticated and smart superhero for a new generation.” NBC hopes to have the show on the air in 2016.
For now, Lawless, who is married to Tapert, is not involved with this new production. But says Bob Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment:
“We’d love to have Lucy be a part of it — if we felt that her presence didn’t overshadow the direction we take with it. I’m not sure how she could be part of it if she wasn’t playing Xena, and I don’t know if that’s a direction we’ll ever go.”
Greenblatt did say he was open to Lawless being involved in the creative process, and we’re sure her fans would be too.
The original ‘Xena’ aired in syndication from 1995-2001 in more than 108 countries. The show’s popularity eclipsed that of ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’, the show from which ‘Xena’ spun-off and it regularly ranked in the Top 5 of syndicated shows.
As for star Lucy Lawless, she currently stars on the STARZ series ‘Ash Vs. Evil Dead.’
Check back for more updates as they arrive.
Are you excited to see a new primetime take on ‘Xena’? What do you think about the description so far?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
