Emmy-wining writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost) has tapped for NBC’s TV revival of Xena: Warrior Princess, according to Variety.
Last we reported on the studio’s long-rumored reboot, both NBC and NBC International had cast the net in search of a writer to introduce Xena to a modern audience, and it appears that now the wheels have been set in motion. Variety notes that Grillo-Marxuach is on board to pen the pilot episode the series before going on to executive produce, where he will leverage producing duties with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert – creators of the original cult classic.
On paper, Raimi and Tapert are aiming to create a “sophisticated and smart superhero for a new generation,” and there are reportedly early plans in place for Xena: Warrior Princess to become an ongoing series once more, unlike the one-off revivals in the vein of Fox’s The X-Files. It’s a set-up that would also welcome back Lucy Lawless for the star role, who took up arms as the titular badass when the show originally aired from September 1995 until June of 2001.
What separates NBC’s revival of Xena is the fact that the network has assembled the core trifecta that helped make the original series so special: Lawless, Tapert and Raimi. Plus, that Lawless and Raimi are currently collaborating on Ash vs Evil Dead can’t hurt the chances of Xena returning to the small screen sooner rather than later.
As the Xena: Warrior Princess begins to gain serious traction, Lucy Lawless can also be seen on Starz’s Ash vs Evil Dead.