In an unfortunate turn of events, NBC has decided to detract their plans for the reboot of "Xena: Warrior Princess." While it is unclear whether the reboot is done for good, as of now, there are no plans being made for it.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke stated that the project has been scrapped after the departure of "Lost" writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach.
The debris that remained after Grillo-Marxuach left does not leave much for the showrunners to work on — which prompted the network to give up in trying to make the show happen.
Salke further explained that the network isn't opposed to the thought of the working on the reboot once again if the opportunity presents itself. However, this will only happen if a willing writer comes along with a clear pitch and vision of which direction the reboot will take.
Slate reported that the reason behind the departure of Grillo-Marxuach was due to creative differences between him and NBC. The publication added that the studio rejected his vision for portraying the main protagonists, Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, and Gabrielle as heterosexual lovers.
In the original '90s version, Gabrielle, played by Renee O'Connor, was portrayed to be Xena's trusty sidekick.
Original creators Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi were supposed to oversee the creation of the reboot, with plans of recruiting a new actress to take the titular role.
According to Den of Geek, Lawless was open to taking part in the reboot if it were to be a sequel. However, this possibility went out the window when Lawless got wind of a full-fledged reboot in the works.
It would appear that the show's only hope is to have a respected writer to come on board with a solid narrative that coincides with the studio's vision for the show. In the meantime, fans will have to let go of the idea of Xena's return to the small screen.
