Comic-Con: ‘Spartacus’ death toll ‘like nothing you’ve seen’

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‘This will have a death toll like nothing you’ve seen on television before,’ vowed writer-producer Steven DeKnight of ‘Spartacus,’ Starz’s new sword-and-sandals epic coming in January.

The premium channel unveiled the trailer during a Comic-Con panel today, and indeed the series looks gory. And full of naked bodies! Imagine the nudity of HBO’s ‘Rome,’ the violence of ‘Gladiator’ and the look of ‘300,’ and you’ll have a good idea of what ‘Spartacus’ is like.

It’s ‘big fun back on the small screen,’ as star Lucy Lawless, the erstwhile Xena, told the crowd. And here’s something you don’t hear often from producers: The network wanted them to push the envelope even more. ‘There have been times when Starz has told us, push it a little further. We’ll tell you when you cross the line,’ DeKnight said.

For all that, though, he added that the violence is more ‘operatic’ rather than realistic.
The nudity, meanwhile, forced Lawless to hit the gym. ‘I do have to work out,’ she said. ‘Being naked on-screen is no fun.’

-- Scott Collins