New Spartacus spinoff series House of Ashur has debuted to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The new STARZ series, which comes 12 years after the original concluded, posits an alternative ending to a key character.
In it, Ashur (Nick E Tarabay) survives his death and instead kills Spartacus, subsequently being rewarded with a gladiator school by the Roman Empire. The new show depicts his rise to power as Dominus among the Roman gladiators.
Also starring the likes of Xena: Warrior Princess’ Lucy Lawless and The Witcher’s Graham McTavish, House of Ashur has so far drawn acclaim from critics, with a 100% score based on 5 reviews.
Variety called it both “thrilling” and “dynamic”, adding: “A classic tale of the haves and have-nots in ancient Rome, where power means everything, [creator Steven S] DeKnight’s world is as enticing as ever.”
RogerEbert.com enthused that the series is as good as the original, writing that it “offers us a rarity in a world where prequels and reboots threaten to stifle all originality: a spin-off series that not only honors the legacy of its predecessor, but one that, at times, rivals it”.
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“Spartacus: House of Ashur recaptures much of what made the original series great, and proves this franchise hasn’t lost a beat in its 12-year hiatus,” echoed Collider.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Tribune wrote that “the franchise’s delicious character drama amps up a few episodes into the season”, noting: “This is the good stuff that makes Spartacus more than the sum of its arguably gratuitous parts.”
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Spartacus: House of Ashur was first announced back in 2023, DeKnight teasing at the time that they were “crafting something truly unique and unusual for the next chapter in this epic story”.
“It’s such an incredible honour to be invited to return to the world of Spartacus and to be met with unbridled creative support from my colleagues at Starz and Lionsgate,” he added.
Spartacus: House of Ashur streams from Saturday, 6 December on MGM+ in the UK, and Friday, 5 December on STARZ in the US.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.