Lucy Lawless is very well appreciated for her run as the titular heroine in the fantasy adventure series Xena: Warrior Princess, and the actress recently weighed in on the possibility of a reboot. Originally airing for six seasons between 1995-2001, Xena has developed a strong cult following with the series often talked about by fans. With so many other classic shows of the era getting modern revivals and reunion specials, some fans have wondered if more Xena could be coming soon.
In a new interview with ComicBook.com, Lawless spoke about the future of Xena. Though she can’t be specific, the actress hints that a new take on the series is currently in the works with a pitch that managed to impress Lawless. That’s certainly high praise coming from the star of the original series. She goes on to explain how it will be “utterly different” and yet “cool” in its own way. From the interview:
“I see it [happening] more this month than I did three years ago, because I think there was a new crop of people who aren’t bound by the past. It might be helpful to — I’m going to leave that thought alone because somebody else, somebody pitched me the idea the other day that’s really smart. So there are new people coming up who are going to be able to reimagine it for a new generation. It will be utterly different, but it will be cool. And yes, I do. I do foresee that that person is coming.”
Xena: Warrior Princess was created by John Schulian and Rob Tapert and developed for TV by R.J. Stewart and Sam Raimi. Along with Lawless in the lead role, the series starred Renee O’Connor as Xena’s comrade-in-arms Gabrielle. The series has also featured notable guest stars including Karl Urban as Julius Caesar, Ted Raimi as Joxer, and Bruce Campbell as Autolycus.
There have been some false starts in the past when it came to rebooting Xena. At one point, NBC was developing a reboot with Raimi and Tapert executive producing with rumors of Lawless reprising the role. Javier Grillo-Marxuach was signed on to serve as writer and producer on the project in 2015, though he later announced his exit in 2017. Months later, NBC shelved this version of the reboot, though NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said the network was still open to revisiting Xena down the road.
“Nothing is happening on that right now. We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot,” Salke told THR. “I’d never say never on that one because it’s such a beloved title, but the current incarnation of it is dead.”
Maybe Xena: Warrior Princess will find some new life in the near future, as this latest pitch has apparently wowed Lawless herself. Time will tell if the reboot really comes to fruition, but there’s plenty for fans of Lawless to watch out for in the meantime. She can be seen in season 2 of the Acorn TV series My Life Is Murder when it premieres on Monday, Aug. 30th. This news comes to us from ComicBook.com.