*“Spartacus: House of Ashur” returns to the world of gladiators with a daring twist, exploring what might have happened if Ashur had survived and risen to power. The STARZ series, premiering December 5 with back-to-back episodes, centers on the scheming Ashur, now in control of the gladiator school that once enslaved him, as he navigates the deadly games of Roman politics and the brutal arena.
In an interview, showrunner Steven S. DeKnight explained why he chose to resurrect the infamous character. “I love working with Nick. We have a great working relationship. I know no matter what I throw at him, he is just going to knock it out of the park,” he said of series star Nick E. Tarabay, who returns as Ashur.
“I was also really interested in taking this character of Ashur, who did such horrible things in the original series. But in Gods of the Arena, you see how he got his start,” DeKnight added. “He wasn’t a bad person. He wanted acceptance and love. And instead, he constantly got humiliated and mocked. And it turned him bitter and hard.”
He continued, “I’m fascinated by taking that character and giving these new set of circumstances. Can he be a better man? Can he open up his heart? Can he learn from the past? And beyond that, I love the idea of doing a what-if, because this uncouples me from the shackles of history.”
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DeKnight also shared how Ashur’s survival opens the door for historical deviations, including the introduction of a female gladiator. “One of the first things you see… is the introduction of the gladiatrix, the female gladiator. We wanted to do that on the original show, but historically, they came like 80 years after. So they were outside of our time period. But with Ashur being alive, his back up against the wall, he needs a gimmick,” the EP explained.
“So he thinks, we’ll throw a woman in the arena and see what happens, and see if I get some attention. And that’s just the first domino of how he changes history. There are a lot more coming,” DeKnight teased. “I love the idea that the audience members who know history aren’t going to know what’s going to happen in this alternate timeline.”
Tarabay discussed his character’s connection with Achillia, the fierce female gladiator who challenges Roman tradition. “They’re both outsiders. Ashur is always seen as a Syrian, and she’s an outsider. She’s a female getting introduced to the male world. They’re both getting introduced to a place that they are not wanted in,” he revealed.
“Ashur has a keen eye of seeing something in people they don’t see in themselves. When he clocks her in the street, he sees something. He notices something. He’s like, I can build on that. So I think they both share that commonality of being in an unwanted place, but yet somehow forced to be in it,” Tarabay continued.
He also compared the dangers of the arena and Roman politics for Ashur. “The arena is way simpler… because in the arena, you know who your enemy is. You know where the hits are coming from. In Roman politics, you don’t know where the hits are coming from. You don’t know who your enemies are. It’s much simpler when you’re in the arena.”
DeKnight emphasized that character development drives both the action and eroticism in the series. “It starts with character. In both the sexual situations and the action scenes, like every arena fight, there are stakes. There are stakes for Ashur in the stands. There are stakes for the gladiators fighting. There’s stakes for the people in the audience. So you’ve got to go into those fights, knowing what those stakes are, knowing what the obstacles are. All the spectacle of the action will be meaningless without the character work behind it,” he explained.
“It’s the same thing for intimate scenes,” DeKnight added. “It’s not just, oh, here’s a sex scene between Ashur and somebody. Who wants what? What is happening? Who’s maneuvering? Who has a need? Is it a power play? Is it a love play? All of that is important… Thankfully, Lionsgate and STARZ at no point asked us to tone anything down. You know, with STARZ, their motto is we’re all adults here. What they want is just a good story. And the violence is part of this world, and so is the sexuality.”
Produced by Lionsgate Television for STARZ, “Spartacus: House of Ashur” is executive produced by DeKnight, Rick Jacobson, and Aaron Helbing. The series expands on the legacy of “Spartacus,” which premiered in 2010, followed by “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” in 2011, “Spartacus: Vengeance” in 2012, and “Spartacus: War of the Damned” in 2013. The new chapter premieres December 5 with back-to-back episodes and will stream weekly on Fridays exclusively on the STARZ app and all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms.
Watch our full conversation with Nick and Steven below.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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