Twenty years after it premiered as a "Hercules" spinoff, it has been reported that "Xena: Warrior Princess" is about to make its way back to television, and NBC is said to be in the early stages of developing a reboot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers NBC and NBC Universal International are looking for a writer to board the reboot. Original executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi are also reportedly involved in the project, which is said to be a "modern reboot." Sources told THR that the new Xena is described as having "the charisma and charm of [Lucy] Lawless and the smarts of 'The Hunger Games' Katniss." The website reports that the network is eyeing a 2016 premiere date for the show.
It is unclear whether Xena original star, Lucy Lawless, will have a role onscreen or behind the scenes. Lawless has been vocal about her desire to return to the role, hinting at a series revival for years and reiterating that at this month's San Diego Comic-Con. She has also been very enthusiastic about playing the character again, despite the fact that Xena died in the series finale.
The actress told HitFix at the Comic-Con that she has been pitching for a reboot because "there's a swell of interest still" and that she has always been asked about when a "Xena" movie will come out. Lawless said that the hold-up is due to the rights for the show.
"Find out who has got the rights, pay it. It's better to have 80 percent of something than 100 percent of nothing," she said.
Although the actress has been pitching the reboot for quite some time now, Lawless herself quashed the rumors of an NBC reboot as she took to Twitter on Monday, July 20, and wrote, "Sorry friends! News of a #Xena reboot is just a rumor. I'd love it to happen one day but it's still in the wishful thinking stage."
Meanwhile, Lawless' former costar Jennifer Sky, who played Amarice, also acknowledged the rumor on Monday, tweeting, "The day has finally come."
In response to a Twitter user that the reboot is just a rumor, Sky wrote, "The way rumors become a reality is through community support. The 'rumor' is trending."
