The cast of Spartacus: House of Ashur brought a touch of ancient Rome to west London this week as they gathered for the international premiere of the much-anticipated spin-off, which has already earned 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Showrunner and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight and executive producer Rick Jacobson joined stars Nick E. Tarabay, Tenika Davis, Jamaica Vaughan, Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith and Leigh Gill at the Everyman at The Whiteley.
Twelve years after Spartacus ended in suitably bloody fashion, the franchise returns with a bold twist.
Spartacus: House of Ashur imagines an alternate future in which Ashur, played once again by Tarabay, survives the Battle of Mount Vesuvius (and his gory beheading) and goes on to play a central role in the rebellion’s collapse.
In this version of events, he not only contributes to Spartacus’ downfall but delivers the decisive blow himself.
Now a free man and master of the Ludus that once owned him, Ashur is determined to reinvent himself despite the shadow of his past.
His ambitions sharpen when he witnesses Achillia (Tenika Davis) fend off three Roman soldiers while shackled, prompting him to bring her into his ranks in the hope of restoring glory in the arena.
Speaking at the premiere, Tarabay said: “What’s lovely about this new show [is that] Ashur is introduced into horrible circumstances led by extremely horrible people that just really put the screws on Ashur.
“What I love about working with Steven [DeKnight], he almost makes me act less and just be and I’m very grateful for that.”
DeKnight explained why Ashur’s story fascinated him: “He wants to be part of the Brotherhood, he basically wants to be loved and accepted.
“And instead, he ends up being mocked and ridiculed and humiliated and it turns him hard and bitter… I love the idea of taking this man who has done horrible things because of the trauma that's happened to him, and exploring whether he could refine his humanity and open himself up to love, or whether his demons will drag him back under.”
And for fans hoping this marks the start of a much larger return to the world of Spartacus, DeKnight teased he has “five other spin-offs” ready to go — if the audience responds.
“Yes, yes. There are five other spin offs,” he said. “Assuming the audience shows up, we have more. We will make as much as you want to consume.”
Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres in the UK on MGM+ on 6 December with a two-episode drop.
