Xena Reboot

Nick el Ass

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This whole thing has bad idea written all over it. I mean a few years back the made that Hercules movie with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson that had an Autolycus in it, and seemed to be the first attempt at rebooting the story with similar names... and at one point there was even talk of Kevin Sorbo being in it in some small roll since he was the last person to play Hercules. Granted I'm not sure which production house was involved in the movie, but they were at least trying to cash in on similarities. That didn't work either, and combining the Xena story with a Hunger Games style would be catastrophically bad. I don't see why they wouldn't just have the original cast back, and perhaps at some point they could hand the show over to a younger cast there could be a passing of the torch. Yet, they could still have some of the originals involved from time to time because I think Lucy is 100% into Ash vs Evil Dead. 


LLS1-039.jpg

/what a passing of the torch might look like.
 

MaidOfKandar

I May Be Bad But I Feel...Good....
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@nick - that might explain why Sorbo was so bitter about them rebooting it into a movie without him. 

See, to me this whole modern reboot idea is total nonsense.  The audience has made it clear what they want out of more Xena (Lucy back, Renee back, the right tone, action, and to actually see Xena and Gabrielle together as a couple).  The last thing they seem to want is the Hunger Games dressed up in different clothing.  I might complain about AvED (sometimes) and the remake (a lot), but at least Sam, Rob and Bruce were actually consulted and were hands-on in bringing it back.  Lucy and Ted's Tweets say a lot, they sound disappointed.  I remember Lucy saying they were reluctant to do it since Rob was doing yeoman work on AvED and doing two series at once might be too much.
 

Nick el Ass

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Kevin Sorbo was really upset about them not letting him have a roll, but in the end the movie was pretty bad. So maybe he is better off not doing it. Xena on the other hand with the original cast would make for a fun movie, or tv show should they take the chance... and Rob Tapert has done multiple shows at the same time before. It could be done, but I think it is more of an issue of giving his all to one project like AvED which may be smart on his part... and I applaud him for it if that is what they choose. I'd much rather see AvED than an updated Xena because the show as it is is great. I have all 6 seasons on dvd, and watch it once a year without fail.


/As far as the remake goes it was nice to see the gang along with people like Greg Nicotero who offered his services. Needless to say the project was great in concept, but the movie just isn't very memorable in the end. The original trilogy on the other hand is still being talked about almost 36 years after it began.
 

MaidOfKandar

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We'll have to see how things transpire once we get casting news!
 

Swofty

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MaidOfKandar said:
We'll have to see how things transpire once we get casting news!

Lucy has to be producing, directing or acting in this before I start to get excited ..
 

MaidOfKandar

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Swofty said:
MaidOfKandar said:
We'll have to see how things transpire once we get casting news!

Lucy has to be producing, directing or acting in this before I start to get excited ..

I'm wondering if the Ren/Ghosthouse pictures folks have been completely cut out of the process, judging from Lucy and Ted's reactions.  I'm wondering if it's a rights thing and if they don't have any say in what NBC does.
 

Quake42

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Hello everyone - I've been a lurker for a few months but decided to put my head over the parapet on this thread!

Reports overnight on Den of Geek appeared to confirm that Lucy L and the of the original cast won't be involved at in the reboot. A huge mistake on the part of NBC in my view, as it will piss off the (still very large) original fandom without offering anything to suck in the next generation. A TV movie/miniseries handover could have kept everyone happy.

Ah well. At least we have AvED to look forward to!
 

Nick el Ass

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Swofty said:
MaidOfKandar said:
We'll have to see how things transpire once we get casting news!

Lucy has to be producing, directing or acting in this before I start to get excited ..

She is all in on AvED, and would be open to playing a roll... but not a full run. Plus NBC seems hellbent of revamping the show to be more like Hunger Games and it will fail. Look how bad they failed with Hannibal when after they announced they had canceled the show it became the most pirated show of the season. People want to see it, but they didn't nothing to push it. Sadly The Xena Games will end up the same as NBC just wants money, and are not looking long term in tv. September 4th also marks the 20th anniversary of Xena's debut.
 

MaidOfKandar

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Today marks Xena's 20th!  Lots of goodwill everywhere in the fandom.

I wish NBC had thought this out before actually going through with this reboot.  The fandom's needs were simple, could have been met with a simple tv movie that would've done great ratings.  The last thing the world wants is Katniss Junior.
 

Nick el Ass

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I think a final movie would have sufficed. A lot of fans just hated how the show ended, but in all honesty it took guts to have Xena lose her head. The show was all about redemption, and that was her way of getting it in the end... and to me 6-7 years is about right for a show to end. They did some truly amazing stuff in the 134 episode, and plus The Lord of the Rings movies started shooting so they lost a lot of crew members, and instead of keeping it going they moved on. I agree make a movie, or let is rest NBC.
 

MaidOfKandar

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Weirdly, I liked how the show ended - Gabrielle went from an innocent kid to a tough, take no BS warrior, all thanks to Xena.  It was a perfect idea thematically but it suffers if you look at it through shipper goggles.  And let's face it - most of Xena's female, queer audience wanted them to  live happily ever after.
 

Quake42

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MaidOfKandar said:
Weirdly, I liked how the show ended - Gabrielle went from an innocent kid to a tough, take no BS warrior, all thanks to Xena.  It was a perfect idea thematically but it suffers if you look at it through shipper goggles.  And let's face it - most of Xena's female, queer audience wanted them to  live happily ever after.

It wasn't the death of Xena so much as the BS reason she had to stay dead... The story had moved well beyond her quest for redemption by that stage and was really all about her relationship with Gabrielle. She wouldn't have refused the resurrection and frankly even if she had Gabby would have just dumped the ashes in the fountain anyway. We'd seen only a couple of episodes earlier that she would risk destroying the entire universe in revenge for Xena's death. Poor writing IMO.

Plus, the Japanese setting was a bit odd for the finale. Xena's final battle should have been in Greece.

Totally agree about badass warrior Gabby though. She was awesome in the finale.
 

MaidOfKandar

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I can actually see what you mean, remembering how the show treated it (Gabby had to get to a certain river and put Xena's ashes in them, if I remember right).
 

Quake42

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MaidOfKandar said:
I can actually see what you mean, remembering how the show treated it (Gabby had to get to a certain river and put Xena's ashes in them, if I remember right).

Yeah, the Fountain of Strength or something then at the very last minute Xena announces she can't come back because... reasons. Unsatisfactory ending all round.
 

Nick el Ass

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Quake42 said:
MaidOfKandar said:
Weirdly, I liked how the show ended - Gabrielle went from an innocent kid to a tough, take no BS warrior, all thanks to Xena.  It was a perfect idea thematically but it suffers if you look at it through shipper goggles.  And let's face it - most of Xena's female, queer audience wanted them to  live happily ever after.

It wasn't the death of Xena so much as the BS reason she had to stay dead... The story had moved well beyond her quest for redemption by that stage and was really all about her relationship with Gabrielle. She wouldn't have refused the resurrection and frankly even if she had Gabby would have just dumped the ashes in the fountain anyway. We'd seen only a couple of episodes earlier that she would risk destroying the entire universe in revenge for Xena's death. Poor writing IMO.

Plus, the Japanese setting was a bit odd for the finale. Xena's final battle should have been in Greece.

Totally agree about badass warrior Gabby though. She was awesome in the finale.

The Japan thing is all on Rob Tapert as he wrote and directed A Friend in Need I & II. I think by season 6 Xena had really had run its course like most shows by that time, and it would have gotten worse with LotR shooting in the same country. In fact there were even rumors of Peter Jackson (being a New Zealander) wanted Lucy to play Galadriel before Cate Blanchett was cast, but she was pregnant... and couldn't do it. The fact that Gabrielle was so bad ass was interesting by the fact that Renee O'Connor was pregnant during shooting, but still did all her own stunts in the episodes. 


/The whole thing was still about redemption, and yeah the writing was a bit lacking.
 

Quake42

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Nick el Ass said:
Quake42 said:
MaidOfKandar said:
Weirdly, I liked how the show ended - Gabrielle went from an innocent kid to a tough, take no BS warrior, all thanks to Xena.  It was a perfect idea thematically but it suffers if you look at it through shipper goggles.  And let's face it - most of Xena's female, queer audience wanted them to  live happily ever after.

It wasn't the death of Xena so much as the BS reason she had to stay dead... The story had moved well beyond her quest for redemption by that stage and was really all about her relationship with Gabrielle. She wouldn't have refused the resurrection and frankly even if she had Gabby would have just dumped the ashes in the fountain anyway. We'd seen only a couple of episodes earlier that she would risk destroying the entire universe in revenge for Xena's death. Poor writing IMO.

Plus, the Japanese setting was a bit odd for the finale. Xena's final battle should have been in Greece.

Totally agree about badass warrior Gabby though. She was awesome in the finale.

The Japan thing is all on Rob Tapert as he wrote and directed A Friend in Need I & II. I think by season 6 Xena had really had run its course like most shows by that time, and it would have gotten worse with LotR shooting in the same country. In fact there were even rumors of Peter Jackson (being a New Zealander) wanted Lucy to play Galadriel before Cate Blanchett was cast, but she was pregnant... and couldn't do it. The fact that Gabriel was so badass was interesting by the fact that Renee O'Connor was pregnant during shooting, but still did all her own stunts in the episodes. 


/The whole thing was still about redemption, and yeah the writing was a bit lacking.

Yeah. I really liked season 6 but season 5 was pretty poor. I think it probably had run its course but I'm still hoping for a limited revival with LL and ROC anyways.
 

Nick el Ass

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Xena seasons 1,2,3,4 was some of the best tv ever with 4 being arguably the best. Season 6 made it all better though, and as much as I'd love to see something I just tell people on Twitter to be careful what they ask for because tv executives have no hearts... and may just give you something you don't want. I just saw this video on Steven L. Sear's Facebook page of him, and apparently he is working with Renee again. One thing that amazes me is that the cast and crew of Hercules and Xena still work together often on their own projects, and have been ever since. 


https://www.facebook.com/steven.l.sears/videos/10156002115470183/?pnref=story
 

Nick el Ass

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Indianapolis
I'll just put this article here.

http://nerdist.com/lost-writer-joins-xena-warrior-princess-reboot-at-nbc/


/Lost+Charmed+No Lucy Lawless/Renee O'Connor=suck.
 

MaidOfKandar

I May Be Bad But I Feel...Good....
Staff member
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Ohhh this is going to be painful.

They're mostly trying to (belatedly) cash in on the Hunger Games. But they seem to have no idea that the point of Xena is camp.
 
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