Starz has decided three seasons will be enough for the blood and sandals epic Spartacus.
The series has one more season to air starting in 2013 called Spartacus: War of the Damned.
War of the Damned will center on the final battle between Spartacus and Marcus Crassus.
“Starz always does the unexpected,” Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight told IGN. “This show has been challenged, to say the least, in many, many ways. We’ve faced many difficulties and tragedies on the show. My original plan was to attack the show in a five- to seven-season arc. Once we got into it and after Andy [Whitfield]’s passing and looking at the historical story of Spartacus, we came to the decision to basically end on a high note.
“We certainly could have continued for a few more seasons and stretched it out, but we really wanted to end high and not feel like we were treading water – and really just condense the rest of the history into one amazing ten-episode, badass final season,” he continued. “You know, the whole show was a huge risk from the start for Starz, and it was another huge risk when I decided to try to keep the show going after Andy’s passing. Any normal studio would have just cancelled the show at that point and not risk the financial downside of it not working. But Starz, thankfully, really stuck by the show, and they really wanted it to be told all the way to the end. They didn’t want to cheat the viewers and just suddenly pull the plug. So they gave us this opportunity to wrap up the story, and we’re certainly taking that opportunity and running with it. This is by far the biggest season we’ve ever attempted.”
I’m genuinely sad that this show is ending, but I’m utterly grateful that they’re ending it intentionally rather than it petering out or getting canceled unexpectedly.
Of course, unless the writers are going to pull some major revisionism, we know how it ends.
I’m looking forward to an amazing ending! I hope it is satisfying.
That said, its sad to see it go. Season 2 started slow but picked up with a great finale.
What will Starz do next??? Will it top Spartacus?
Unfortunately, Camelot didn’t seem to be it, even though I liked it and was interested in where it could go.
Weren’t you guys complaining about the show lost direction once they were free? You made it sound like the show run its course and shound end.