Starz has unleashed the first trailer for Spartacus: House of Ashur (above), finally revealing that many of the elements fans want to see most will return as part of creator Steven S. DeKnight’s return to the franchise. The series premieres with the first two episodes on December 5, with new individual episodes to follow on Fridays via the network’s app and linear channel.
In the Red Band trailer above, crowds roar as they watch gladiators fight a life-or-death battle in the ring. Blood and guts are flying everywhere when silence takes over the arena. A thumbs-up or thumbs-down decision from an editor or an emperor wields the power of survival; a task taken lightly and mostly made to amuse the crowds or the people in power.
Liam McIntyre makes a very brief appearance as Spartacus in the clip, which shows Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) impaling him with a spear.
Spartacus: House of Ashur is set in a reimagined world, where power, passion, and destiny unite in an unforgettable new story. Viewers are thrust back into the brutality of Ancient Rome with the shocking resurrection of the once-defeated Ashur, who now returns as “Dominus,” the master of his own House. Fueled by vengeance and cunning ambition, Ashur rises from betrayal and bloodshed to seize power, gouging out a place for the House of Ashur in a new arena full of violence, desire, and twisted loyalty.
Spartacus: House of Ashur Key Art: Nick E. Tarabay and Tenika Davis
The series also stars Tenika Davis, Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Jordi Webber, Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith, and Leigh Gill.
Tarabay and DeKnight teased what’s to come in an exclusive interview, including the return of Lucy Lawless as Lucretia and how John Hannah almost appeared in Season 1 on House of Ashur.
For anyone wanting to rewatch the original series before House of Ashur, they’re all available to stream via Starz. Spartacus: Blood and Sand debuted in 2010 and was followed by the prequel series chapter Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in 2011, and two additional chapters, Spartacus: Vengeance in 2012 and Spartacus: War of the Damned in 2013.
Watch the trailer above.
