The sands of the gladiatorial arena beckon for blood once more. Starz has released the first full trailer for its much-anticipated Spartacus spin-off series, House of Ashur, and it welcomes viewers back to Ancient Rome, where “power, passion, and destiny unite” against the backdrop of brutal combat and backstabbing. At the center of it all is Nick E. Tarabay‘s Ashur, the once-defeated former slave who is granted a second chance at life in an alternate timeline where the Roman Empire rewards him for his betrayal of the rebels and names him the Dominus of his own house. Now managing the slaves he once counted himself among the ranks of, he’s set to begin a new quest for vengeance and power starting on December 5.
The trailer opens with an immediate return to the sort of violence viewers are expecting with House of Ashur, as two gladiators fight to the visceral end in the arena while Ashur and the crowd watch in excitement. Ashur promises his combatants that they, too, will forge their own glorious tales in the arena, though reality isn’t quite as rosy. The series reimagines a reality where he, not a random Roman soldier, was the one who brought down the revolutionary Spartacus, a deed that has earned him status. Although he now knows a reality filled with women and relative luxury, he lacks two crucial things — respect from those around him and success in the arena. To bolster his power and navigate the cutthroat world of Roman politics, he brings a new spectacle to the empire through the fierce and determined gladiatrix Achillia (Tenika Davis), the first female gladiator in the series who’s ready to prove herself in a man’s bloodsport. Of course, Ashur’s also not afraid to get his own hands dirty to get ahead.
Further complicating Ashur’s world is how the show expands Spartacus with new characters. Notably featured in the trailer is the powerful Julius Caesar (Jackson Gallagher), who finds “unexpected delights” upon visiting Capua with his wife, Cornelia (Jaime Slater). Graham McTavish also joins the fray as the house’s gladiator trainer, Korris, who’s just as determined to turn its fortunes around in the arena, while Jordi Webber embodies the ambitious Tarchon. Rounding out the cast are Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith, and Leigh Gill.
‘House of Ashur’ Carries on the Creative Legacy of ‘Spartacus’
From the series premiere in 2010 through the final chapter, Spartacus: War of the Damned in 2013, Spartacus earned a reputation as one of Starz‘s most captivating epics, telling the story of the titular gladiator who would die a free man and a leader. Though House of Ashur is bending history, the bloody and erotic series is cut from the same cloth thanks to its creator, Steven S. DeKnight. He returned to the sword and sandal series after over a decade to create, showrun, and executive-produce once more, joined by fellow executive producers Rick Jacobson and Aaron Helbing. Lionsgate Television is also back as the producer.
Spartacus: House of Ashur opens with two episodes on Friday, December 5, on Starz. Check out the trailer in the player above.
via Collider