“I am Spartacus!”
by Steven S. DeKnight (Executive Producer / Head Writer)
“I am Spartacus!” Those three immortal words were the first thought that seized my brain when I was approached by Starz and Ghost House Pictures to reimagine the classic historical tale. The second thought was fueled by pure fanboy glee: I’d be executive producing alongside Rob Tapert, Josh Donen, and one of my cinematic idols, Sam Raimi. And then my third thought hit. Spartacus. Stanley Kubrick, Kirk Douglas, Howard Fast, Dalton Trumbo. An epic achievement. A bold statement against the dark days of McCarthyism, The Black List, and Naming Names. One of my favorite films of all time. How do I top that?
The answer was surprisingly simple: I don’t. The Kubrick film stands alone. I had no interest in trying to copy it or improve on it (as if such a thing were even possible). As much as it pained me, I was prepared to pass on the project. However, I thought I should at least do some quick research on the subject first and see if I could expand on the historical material without emulating or attempting to improve on the Kubrick classic. What I discovered was that there is very little actually known about the man called Spartacus. So little, in fact, that historians don’t even agree if Spartacus was really the man’s name. Only fragments exist regarding Spartacus and The Third Servile War, or Slave War, as it is more popularly called. And even these fragments are contradictory. Was he a Roman? A Thracian? Did he have a wife? Was he in the Roman Army? The Auxiliary? Some say yes, others no. Most only refer to Spartacus after he escaped from Lentulus Batiatus’ ludus (gladiatorial school). Very few mention the life of the man before this event.
Ultimately it was what I didn’t find in my research that began to excite me about the possibilities of tackling the project. I wasn’t locked into the specifics of the Kubrick film because there were little or no specifics. I was free to shape the character and the story in a new and visually innovative way. I signed on for the adventure, the excitement, the romance, the triumph and the tragedy of Spartacus, a man who refused to submit to the tyranny of oppression. And oh yes, if you were wondering, our hero will proclaim those three immortal words in our series. But not, of course, the way you expect.
Message Edited by starz_mktg on 07-23-2009 11:35 AM
