Lucy Lawless has recently spoken about the possibility of a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot. Originally conceived as a spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, the cult fantasy series saw Lawless tackle the titular role of Xena, a warrior seeking redemption for her past sins. Developed by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi and R.J. Stewart, the original series debuted in 1995 and ran for six seasons.
A much-beloved property adored by a fervent fanbase, since the original series conclusion in 2001, the Xena brand continued to thrive via a series of spinoff novels, comics, video games, and RPGs. At one stage a feature-length movie was originally planned, with screenwriter Katherine Fugate tapped to pen the script as far back as 2003, yet the project later stalled. Again in 2015 NBC announced a new series reboot with Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach at the helm, though unfortunately that project was also shelved in 2017.
Most recently Screen Rant caught up with Lawless about the release of her latest animated film The Spine of Night and asked her about her thoughts concerning previous attempts to resurrect the Xena franchise. Admitting that “they have tried” but “can’t find a way to write it better”, Lawless admits that there still may be some potential for a Xena reboot in the future. Check out her full comments below:
You know what? They have tried. They can't find a way to write it better. That's the truth. They have struggled and tried. Lots of people have tried, but they all get to the end and go, "This is not going to be -- " [If] it can't be as good or better than the original, why would you do it? That appears to be the sticking point. But, who knows? There's going to come along a fresh talent who is going to strike the right way to do it.
In a world packed to bursting with franchise reboots and revivals, Lawless’s assertion that perhaps it shouldn’t be done if “it can't be as good or better than the original” is certainly a breath of fresh air. While many fans would be more than keen to see the series return to screens, the potential danger of disrespecting the legacy of the original series by serving up a sub-standard reboot is something that might be best avoided in the long run. Over recent years, while some TV series reboots like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, have succeeded by offering new and unique takes on the source material, others have proven to be little more than pale imitations of the original.
Yet, as Lawless also suggests, someone may still manage to crack the secret code to improving upon the pop-culture icon that is the original Xena: Warrior Princess. If that day ever does eventuate, however, one thing fans would be desperate to know is whether Lawless herself will play some role or whether they will seek to leave her out of it entirely. Either way, until they find a way to do it, Xena fans still have a lot more of Lawless’s extensive work to enjoy, including her voice role in The Spine of Night which is due for release in theaters, on-demand, and digital on October 29.