Lucy Lawless admits that speculation over whether iconic fantasy TV series Xena: Warrior Princess could be brought back in a reboot has left her ‘fatigued’.
Lucy starred as the titular character from 1995 until 2001 in Xena. The show that earned a cult following during its transmission and in the 20 years since its finale.
The series, which was a spin-off from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, followed the fearless warrior as she protected those who could not protect themselves.
While speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Lucy – who currently stars in police comedy-drama My Life Is Murder as private investigator Alexa Crowe – opened up about how she feels about the prospect of a Xena revival.
While filming season two of My Life Is Murder, which has just started streaming in the UK, she was reunited with her former co-star and close friend Renée O’Connor, best-known for playing farmgirl-turned-Amazon-princess Gabrielle on Xena.
When asked whether they discussed a Xena reboot while filming or if she would consider making a cameo, Lucy replied: ‘We might have said that. I can’t remember. It’s not top of mind to speak of, because people have been mooting this for years, and we’re sort of just fatigued by the whole discussion.’
Offering a little hope, she said that they’ll ‘believe it when we’re on set’, adding: ‘That’s it. It could happen!’
There has been speculation of a reboot for several years, with a report in 2015 saying that NBC had a revival in development.
However, two years later it was confirmed that the project had stalled, although then-NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke said at the time that there was hope for it to be explored in the future.
‘Nothing is happening on that right now. We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot. I’d never say never on that one because it’s such a beloved title, but the current incarnation of it is dead,’ she said at the time.
Before My Life Is Murder season two, the last time Renée starred in a TV production was in 2010, when she appeared in web series Ark, shortly after a one-episode appearance in Criminal Minds.
Lucy said that it was ‘heavenly’ being reunited with her Xena co-star, saying that it felt like a ‘homecoming’ to work together again.
‘We are so close, close like when you get together with your cousins and you’re all kind of the same in some way. It’s like that recognition of sameness,’ she said.
She explained that because they know each other so well, ‘it’s a real shortcut to doing good work’, as there’s ‘no getting to know you process’.
‘She, who has not been on a set – she says – for years, was as sharp and polished as ever,’ Lucy said of Renée.
‘She hasn’t missed a single beat. She’s just fabulous. It was an honour and I’m really grateful to all the people who moved heaven and Earth to get Renée into New Zealand at that time, ‘cause it was not easy.’
Lucy, who is from New Zealand, spoke about how happy she was to film the series in her home country, as the production was forced to move from Australia due to the pandemic. Xena: Warrior Princess was also filmed in New Zealand during its run.
My Life Is Murder Series 2 is streaming exclusively on Acorn TV.
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