Here is the first trailer for bloody action series Spartacus Vengeance. Starz has set the premiere date of Spartacus, starring Australian actor Liam McIntyre, to Friday, January 27 at 10 pm. Series begins several weeks after Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which debuted on the pay cabler last January. That series ended with Spartacus leading a rampage at the House of Batiatus. Additionally, the network has released new footage from the opener. The cast is the next: Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Dustin Clare, Nick E. Tarabay and Katrina Law return, along with Craig Parker and Viva Bianca, Cynthia Addai-Robinson joins the series as Naevia.
Liam McIntyre steps into the role of Spartacus for Season Two. Coming off a film where he had to drop weight, McIntyre spent four months of personal bootcamp before signing on to the actual Spartacus bootcamp in an effort to put on the needed weight for the lead character. This work ethic drew much regard from his castmates. He said that one appeal to the story of Spartacus is that “It’s a vaguely pre-written history with a enough dot dot dots to make it interesting.”
Dustin Clare said his character of Gannicus has changed in the five years that passed between Gods of the Arena and Vengeance. “He stays pretty solo. He’s still a journeyman. He’s got the pack on his back. He’s a free man now. A master of his own destiny.” He said that the audience would see a different man than we saw in the prequel when the character returns near midway through the season (around Episode Five). While Gannicus knows the love of many women, Clare feels the relationship with Oenomaus is the most important for Gannicus and that relationship will be tested.
Manu Bennett (Crixus) went into detail about the season’s title “There’s a lot of scores to settle in this show. The season is called vengeance — that’s where the story lies. This season is about retribution. The Romans will want vengeance for staining their pride. And they are free men with swords, but in the middle of the Roman country.” He likened the second season to being escapees from a P.O.W. camp. With the mixture of backgrounds and motives, there’s conflict as to who leads and to where. One of the challenges in escaping from the confined nature of the previous season and the ludus was what is that world going to look like. He says we can now expect forests, mountains, valleys, rivers, and seaside villages.
Plot: On the heels of the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” the gladiator rebellion continues and begins to strike fear into the heart of the Roman Republic in “Spartacus: Vengeance.” Gaius Claudius Glaber and his Roman troops are sent to Capua to crush the growing band of freed slaves that Spartacus leads before it can inflict further damage. Spartacus is presented the choice of satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man that condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking apart. Containing all of the blood-soaked action, exotic sexuality, and villainy and heroism that has come to distinguish the series, the tale of Spartacus resumes in epic fashion.