Sam Raimi currently set to develop the series; Lawless unconfirmed to return.
A reboot to the classic 90’s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess has been rumored for sometime now, and it looks like the series is finally returning to NBC.
Bob Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that a Xena reboot is coming, and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man Trilogy) and Rob Tapert will develop it.
“Yes, we’re in the early stages of developing a new take on Xena and we’re looking for a writer. We want to do it,” Greenblatt explained. “I think it’s a great character, and we should try to figure out how to revive it somehow.”
Greenblatt also commented on whether the former Xena, Lucy Lawless, will be involved with the project.
“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.”
Following the announcement of the reboot, Lawless took to Twitter with her thoughts of the reboot, citing fans for helping to get the ball rolling.
If a #Xena reboot gets made, it's because the fans are beautiful, hardcore nutballs who want what they want.
— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) August 13, 2015
Not long after that, E! asked Lawless for more thoughts on the reboot, to which she explained:
“It’s got to honor the original kind of legacy of the show. It’s got to be true to the original. I would not stand by just anybody’s take of it. I wouldn’t make it hard for them. I think NBCUniversal really does want to make it, and they have every right to, but if somebody made it and I thought they were doing a s–tty thing to those characters, I’d take that a little personally.”
Xena: Warrior Princess ran from 1995 to 2001 for six seasons. The series has quite the cult following online, perhaps whom Lawless is referring to in her tweet, as well as a memorable opening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMQrORyQnEA
Whether or not the Xena reboot actually happens, and if Lawless will actually be involved, here’s hoping it retains the charm of the original series.
