Entertainment
Lucy Lawless Just Revealed the ‘Xena’ Fantasy Story We Should Have Gotten
Fantasy is a genre that’s constantly finding new life on television. From Game of Thrones and its various spin-offs to the chaotically charming Legend of Vox Machina, there’s a fantasy show for every generation. For those who grew up in the ’90s, that show was Xena: Warrior Princess. Spinning out of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena followed Lucy Lawless‘ titular warrior princess as she sought to atone for the sins of her past. Ironically, Xena would wind up outstripping Hercules in popularity and remains an iconic series to this day. While most fans have been clamoring for a reboot, Lucy Lawless has taken to social media to explain why it hasn’t happened…and what she’d like to do with the character.
On her Instagram account, Lawless discussed the potential Xena reboot that was in development from 2015-2016 under Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The 100, Lost). NBC eventually canceled the project, but Lawless said that she had a different project in mind: a movie that explored Xena’s youth.
“In my opinion, it would have been far more interesting to make a full-length feature film exploring Xena’s past. I would have loved to see her childhood, her birth, her family, her life in Amphipolis, her first hardships, the loss of her brother, and the events that gradually shaped her character and ultimately led her down the dark path of becoming a ruthless warrior.”
While Lawless didn’t confirm that a new Xena: Warrior Princess project was in the works, her idea of a prequel movie centered on a young Xena would be the perfect way to expand upon the series. Not only could it further expand upon the lore of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, but it could build out elements of Xena’s character that were only hinted at in the original series.
A ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Prequel Could Finally Explore Xena’s Turn to Darkness
Xena’s past life was only touched upon in certain episodes, but it’s a past that’s fraught with tragedy. She lost her younger brother during an attack by the warlord Cortese, which drove a wedge between her and her mother. During her time as a pirate, she starts an affair with Julius Caesar — yes, that Julius Caesar — only for him to betray and crucify her. Finally, after being rescued by an Egyptian slave girl named M’Lila, Xena watches her take an arrow to the chest and fully embraces her darker nature. Though Hercules will eventually convince her to turn to the side of good, it’s not hard to see why Xena embraced a life of violence.
A Xena prequel could build upon these moments and showcase more of who Xena was before she was a warlord and eventual adventurer. How did she learn to fight? What was her relationship with her mother and brothers like before Cortese’s attack? How did she wind up being a pirate? Unlike most prequels that spend their time answering questions that didn’t need to be answered, a Xena movie would actually expand upon the parts of Xena’s past that were only briefly hinted at in her series. It would also remind fans of how much she’s grown as a character, evolving from a ruthless warlord into someone who protects others.
Making a ‘Xena’ Prequel Could Avoid Tarnishing the Original Series
Another benefit of a Xena prequel is that it would avoid the trap that most television reboots fall into; namely, failing to capture the spirit of the original series. In Xena‘s case, it would be pretty hard to continue the series as Xena sacrificed her life to stop a demonic force in the Xena: Warrior Princess series finale, “A Friend in Need.” Her longtime companion, Gabrielle (Renee O’Connor), takes up Xena’s weapons and her mission to protect the innocent, making it the perfect conclusion to Xena’s journey. A reboot would only be treading well-worn ground, while a prequel could add more depth to Xena as a character without sacrificing the poignant ending of the original series.
Xena: Warrior Princess worked because it was a series that showcased the long, rocky road that is redemption. If anyone ever wants to revisit the series, they should take Lucy Lawless up on her idea and make a prequel movie that touches on those same themes.
- Release Date
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1995 – 2001-00-00
- Network
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Syndication
- Directors
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Garth Maxwell, Rick Jacobson, Mark Beesley, Josh Becker, Charles Siebert, T.J. Scott, John Fawcett, Michael Hurst, Michael Levine, Oley Sassone, Charlie Haskell, Doug Lefler, Gary Jones, John Laing, Bruce Campbell, Jace Alexander, John T. Kretchmer, Paul Lynch, Renee O’Connor, Stephen L. Posey, Chris Martin-Jones, Christopher Graves, Allison Liddi-Brown, Anson Williams
- Writers
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R.J. Stewart, Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster, Emily Skopov, George Strayton, Hilary Bader, Terence Winter, Tom O’Neill, Carl Ellsworth, Chris Black, Peter Allan Fields, Jeff Vlaming, Alan Jay Glueckman, Eric Morris, Gene O’Neill, Gillian Horvath, Katherine Fugate, Linda McGibney, Melissa Blake, Noreen Tobin, Ashley Gable, Brenda Lilly, James Kahn
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