'Xena: Warrior Princess' reportedly returning to TV
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucy Lawless as Xena in scene from final episode of the TV series "Xena, Warrior Princess." (AP)
Could "Xena: Warrior Princess" be returning to television? If we're lucky...yes!
Twenty years after its original premiere, NBC is eyeing a reboot of the Lucy Lawless action-adventure drama (and "Hercules" spin-off), according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project is in very early development stages and doesn't yet have a writer, but the original executive producers, Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi are involved.
The drama is being called a "modern reboot" and it's unclear if Lawless would return to the series, and in what way. Though THR reports that insiders would like to see her have a role on screen and behind the scenes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucky for them, nobody seems more interested in bringing back "Xena" than Lawless, herself. She told HitFix at Comic-Con that "they've got to bring ['Xena'] back."
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"I've been pitching that show...because...there's a swell of interest still," she said. "I'm always being peppered with questions [about] when the 'Xena' movie is coming. Guys, I'm pitching my ass off to make it happen, whether it's with me or not.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't know what the hold-up is; it's about who has got the rights," she said. "But that's a piss-poor excuse anymore. Find who has got the rights, freakin' pay it. It's better to have 80 percent of something than 100 percent of nothing. Don't waste this opportunity; reinvigorate that franchise!
"The world is crying out for a hero," she added, reiterating the popularity of "Xena" and what it has to offer in laughs, drama and action. If Tapert is involved, then there's a very good chance that Lawless, his wife, will also return in some capacity since she's appeared in many of his recent projects including the "Spartacus" series and the upcoming "Ash vs. Evil Dead," which premieres on Saturday, Oct. 31 on Starz.
The "Xena" reboot is being eyed for 2016, but there is no word on how many episodes the show would have. The original series ran from 1995 to 2001 and became a cult hit, ranking in the Top 5 highest-rated syndicated drama series for all six years of its run.