Xena: Warrior Princess Comeback?

[Rodrigo90]

Well there is a bit of bad blood there so....dont see it happening.

With Kevin? I suppose so

 

[Loki882]

Given some of Sorbo's comments in the past, the fact that people might be hesitant to work with him is hardly surprising. And I agree that, if they're rebooting, then it shouldn't be the SAME kind of show (take the same basic premise, but then do their own thing with it ala Nu-BSG), and that they should hire a different kind of actress to play Xena (to avoiding simply aping Lucy Lawless).

Oh and from a fanboy perspective, making the Xena/Gabrielle thing flat-out canon would be nice.

 

[haephestus]

Woo hoo!

I hope that it's not a full-on reboot, but rather a continuation of the original series.

I'll enter full-on fan boy mode and imagine a new series which opens with an older, wiser Gabrielle as Queen of the Amazons, with Xena as her older, wiser, but perhaps a touch crankier with age, second in command.

There can be some McGuffin which causes a young, female warrior with a questionable past, to interact with the Amazons. Over the course of a couple of episodes, Xena and Gabrielle both see potential in the young warrior and the pilot episodes can end with Xena and Gabrielle bestowing the young warrior with the title of "Warrior Princess" (and the chakram which goes with it) as she sets off for her own set of adventures, maybe with a young, scroll-reading, but inexperienced Amazon as a sidekick.

They can be named Bekka and Olympia, which were two of the original character names tossed around during development and the series could potentially just be called "Warrior Princess" if "Xena" isn't going to be in every episode.

That way, they can keep the original Xena and Gabrielle around for future guest appearances, but launch a new TV series with a new, younger, Katniss-esque lead.

Of course, what could potentially be really awesome would be a mature continuation of the original TV series with an older, bitter, scarred Xena who has separated from Gabrielle because Xena was unwilling and unable to "settle down" and stop adventuring. Gabrielle is ruling the Amazons, Xena encounters some trouble (maybe a foe from the past returns) and they must join forces to save the known world (which was a lot smaller back then) from some great evil. Along the way they would of course reignite their relationship, deal with their past issues and emerge triumphant so that they can ride off into the sunset for their own happily ever after.

They can take some of the sensibility of Spartacus, but still keep a few comedic moments which were a trade mark of the original series. It could be a really good examination of Xena's inability to forgive herself for her past crimes, how that inability to move forward ended up breaking down the most important relationship in her life and how she can finally find the courage to break free from the cycle of violence in which she has been entrenched since she was a young teenager trying to defend her tiny village from a random warlord.

It would also be great to see Gabrielle evolve into a truly independent leader of the Amazons, free from living under Xena's shadow and free to finally determine her own path in life instead of being beholden to Xena for "rescuing" her from her home village and in turn trying to live up to Xena's unrealistic expectations, especially when it came to the necessity of killing in self defence.

 

[krycek]

I'm up for a reboot as long as they:

- Drop the campiness. The original was far too silly which really clashed with the more mature stories they were trying to tell in the later seasons.

- Be open about the whole lesbian angle instead of just dancing around it. We all know what they were really doing around that campfire.

- Have better action scenes. It was pretty sad when the original show had the sidekick upstaging the lead hero when it came to fight choreography.

- Keep Gab's costume when she was using the sais. The one with the orange short shorts and leather top with the exposed back. I liked that one.

- Don't kill the same villains over and over and over and over. It got really tedious when thats all the psycho blonde and the creepy hag ever did.

 

[Loki882]

They could also do something like the new version of Dallas did. Make it a sequel set years later, with a newer cast of characters interacting with the old ones. That way, you could bring back Lucy Lawless as an older Queen Xena or something.

 

[Dark Raven]

I would rather see a new actress play Xena to see how she would do. It would just be like a new theater production with a new cast.

Maybe in this version Gabrielle could be the experienced Amazon warrior and mentor.

 

[Lobo]

I'm all for a new version. There's plenty of actresses I could see as a new Xena with a less camp. I'd prefer a reboot to continuation. I'd keep Xena having a son no one knows about as an angle. Also instead of Hercules pulling her from the path of Darkness you could use another Greek legend. I'd be all for the recasting of Herc, though no need for Sorbo.

As I love fan casting I'll put some suggestions in the spoilers below

Spoiler

Xena-Jaimie Alexander yeah yeah I know it's the obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is the right one and that's why it's obvious (i.e Stewart as Prof X)

Gabrielle-Ana Sophia Robb

More to come

 

[Rodrigo90]

I know Sorbo isn't quite loved these days, but he was great as Herc.

And I still can't get over Kevin Smith being killed. I loved him as Ares.

 

[Dark Raven]

I'm all for a new version. There's plenty of actresses I could see as a new Xena with a less camp. I'd prefer a reboot to continuation. I'd keep Xena having a son no one knows about as an angle. Also instead of Hercules pulling her from the path of Darkness you could use another Greek legend. I'd be all for the recasting of Herc, though no need for Sorbo.

As I love fan casting I'll put some suggestions in the spoilers below

Spoiler

Xena-Jaimie Alexander yeah yeah I know it's the obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is the right one and that's why it's obvious (i.e Stewart as Prof X)

Gabrielle-Ana Sophia Robb

More to come

Isn't Jaimie Alexander in that new series that's starting this fall? The one where she's found naked in Times Square covered in tattoos? She wouldn't have time for it unless that series flops. Also I feel she would be too much of the same stiff warrior again.

I like Anna Sophia though and would watch her in anything.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I want Gabrielle to be black...

 

[Loki882]

I know Sorbo isn't quite loved these days, but he was great as Herc.

And I still can't get over Kevin Smith being killed. I loved him as Ares.

I don't see/hear many people criticizing Sorbo's take on Hercules. They don't care for him these days because of some, not so great things that he's said over the years.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I don't see/hear many people criticizing Sorbo's take on Hercules. They don't care for him these days because of some, not so great things that he's said over the years.

It's a pity he couldn't be as much of a nice guy as he was when playing Hercules

 

[p4poetic]

Thankfully not true. Should have known it was unlikely Tapert and Raimi were involved, yet somehow they were looking for a new Xena. Just surprised the reliable Hollywood Reporter got it wrong.

https://***********/RealLucyLawless/status/623257522980286464

Interesting idea. The original show had its merits, but it was hardly an untouchable classic IMO, so a remake or reboot could be pretty good.

What could they possibly improve upon outside of better special effects?

 

[Primal Slayer]

Only thing would be tighter continuity.

 

[krycek]

Stronger storytelling, acting, fight scenes and less campiness would be a good start.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Stronger storytelling, acting, fight scenes and less campiness would be a good start.

Then that's eliminating everything that made the original so loveable

 

[Primal Slayer]

Acting and fights were great in the original imo.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Yeah.

And just because it was campy or whatnot shouldn't and doesn't detract from its great moments. Even the campiness had its charms.

 

[p4poetic]

Acting and fights were great in the original imo.

I agree. Outside of the over the top wire-work the fight scenes actually still hold up. Also, there are not many actors out there that put as much passion in their fighting like Lucy (part of what makes her incredible to watch). She claims to be uncoordinated but you'd never know it watching the show.

While Lucy's acting wasn't always the best in the first season, she improved tremendously by season two; so much so its like two different actors (watch a season 1 episode and an episode from the other seasons back to back, seriously its a world difference). I think the main problem was often times it was too obvious that she was trying to sound 'manly'. She got the Xena voice right by the end of the season though.

 

[p4poetic]

I would rather see a new actress play Xena to see how she would do. It would just be like a new theater production with a new cast.

Maybe in this version Gabrielle could be the experienced Amazon warrior and mentor.

What would be the point of watching someone trying to imitate Lucy Lawless? Just give us the real thing.

Gabrielle being an already experienced amazon takes away the whole point and growth of the character. She's younger than Xena, how can she be her mentor? They were opposites. The dynamic changes completely with a combat ready Gabrielle.

I'm all for a new version. There's plenty of actresses I could see as a new Xena with a less camp. I'd prefer areboot to continuation. I'd keep Xena having a son no one knows about as an angle. Also instead of Hercules pulling her from the path of Darkness you could use another Greek legend. I'd be all for the recasting of Herc, though no need for Sorbo.

As I love fan casting I'll put some suggestions in the spoilers below

Spoiler

Xena-Jaimie Alexander yeah yeah I know it's the obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is the right one and that's why it's obvious (i.e Stewart as Prof X)

Gabrielle-Ana Sophia Robb

More to come

What do you guys have against camp? I like that X:WP wasn't serious all the time. The comedy episodes were a lot of fun. Not everything has to be dark and gritty all the time.

The only young actress I've ever seen who's reminiscent of Lucy Lawless' level of intensity was Cynthia Addai Robinson in Spartacus, but she's the wrong race, too thin and too short.

 

[Lobo]

I have nothing against it, that was just the way I saw a potential new reboot going. The camp was part of its charm. Ditto with Hercules The Legendary Journeys.

Anyway reunited for an Instagram selfie

 

[p4poetic]

I have nothing against it, that was just the way I saw a potential new reboot going. The camp was part of its charm. Ditto with Hercules The Legendary Journeys.

Anyway reunited for an Instagram selfie

I like how the media is making a big deal about this even though Lucy and Renee see each other very often lol

 

[krycek]

Yeah.

And just because it was campy or whatnot shouldn't and doesn't detract from its great moments. Even the campiness had its charms.

For me the campiness didn't work because the overall tone of the show was all over the place. One minute it wants to be dark and mature, the next its completely juvenille and childish. Its almost like it didn't know who its target audience was.

And on the topic of the fight choreography... Yeah it really wasn't that great. The fake looking wirework and the stuntmen overselling the moves really killed it. And while both leads were great at delivering the fighting moves, the rest of the cast did come across as pretty uncoordinated.

 

[p4poetic]

For me the campiness didn't work because the overall tone of the show was all over the place. One minute it wants to be dark and mature, the next its completely juvenille and childish. Its almost like it didn't know who its target audience was.

And on the topic of the fight choreography... Yeah it really wasn't that great. The fake looking wirework and the stuntmen overselling the moves really killed it. And while both leads were great at delivering the fighting moves, the rest of the cast did come across as pretty uncoordinated.

The only uncoordinated actor was Adrienne Wilkinson (Eve/Livia). I cringed every time she fought Lucy.

 

[carrrnuttt]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/xena-reboot-nbc-confirms-search-815073