As most of you may already know, NBC is planning to revive “Xena: Warrior Princess“, the spin-off of “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has hired Javier Grillo-Marxuach, the original writer from “Lost”, to pen the script for the reboot.
Sources told THR that the reboot will show a much more modernised Xena. With that being said, the lead actress will have to possess “the charisma and charm” of the original star of the TV series, Lucy Lawless and “the smarts of The Hunger Games‘ Katniss”.
Earlier in August, NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt told THR:
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 also expressed that Lawless may get involved in the series, but stressed that she would not return in the title role. “I don’t think it’s just a continuation, but we haven’t gotten that far. I think it’s a great character, and we should try to figure out how to revive it somehow,” Greenblatt said.
Javier is best known for penning the script for American television series “Lost”. He won a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for best dramatic series and was nominated for the same category a year later for the same TV series. The movies and TV series that he has worked on include “Charlie’s Angel’s“, “Helix”, “Boomtown” “Medium”, “The Chronicle”, and “Charmed”.
He will serve as an executive producer in the “Xena” reboot alongside creators of the film, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. The creators will be using their Ghost House Pictures banner to oversee the NBC International Television Studios entry.
The potential series is being eyed for for release in 2016.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Coming Soon.
