In just a few days, audiences will be invited to return to the brutal world first imagined in 2010’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand. It’s been more than a decade since fans stepped into the arena of the hit Starz series, but finally, another chapter is ready to turn the page and continue the story first established by series creator Steven S. DeKnight, with the Nick E. Tarabay-led miniseries, Spartacus: House of Ashur. We at Collider hate to play the waiting game just as much as our readers, so today, we’ve teamed up with the network to deliver a sneak peek at the show’s December 5 return, which comes back in fighting style with a two-episode premiere fit for a gladiator.
Taking a level above those who look to him for guidance and leadership, Ashur (Tarabay) delivers a rousing speech from the balcony overlooking his gladiator training school below. Looking upwards towards their leader, the well-worn and chiseled fighters hang onto his every word as he prepares them for what lies ahead. With a strongly established vision in mind, Ashur has huge and game-changing plans for one of the bloodiest sports in the history of mankind.
Over four seasons, audiences have tuned in and jumped across timelines in the Spartacus universe, and Spartacus: House of Ashur will be no different. While other installments, like Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, served as a prequel, with Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned, building off that established story, Spartacus: House of Ashur will explore an alternate timeline. Instead of having died by decapitation at the tail end of Spartacus: Vengeance, the series explores the answer to the question of what would have happened had he been spared his life and come out on top. The answer is the takeover of Batiatus’s (John Hannah) gladiator school, where he is now free to climb the political ladder and build the Rome that he’s long sought to mold.
Who’s Behind ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’?
In addition to Tarabay reprising his role from the shows that came before, the ensemble behind Spartacus: House of Ashur also includes the talents of Graham McTavish (House of the Dragon), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Claudia Black (Ahsoka), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), India Shaw-Smith (Supernatural), Leigh Gill (Game of Thrones), Jackson Gallagher, and Jaime Slater.
Check out our exclusive sneak peek at Spartacus: House of Ashur, above, and stream the first two episodes of the brand-new series when they arrive on the platform on December 5, with new installments to follow weekly on Fridays.
