Starz to revisit ‘Spartacus’

Starz Entertainment, which this month launched its first original drama series, “Crash,” on Monday revealed plans for its second: “Spartacus,” an action show about the gladiator who led a rebellion of slaves in 73 BC.

The story was famously made into a big-screen epic in 1960, with Kirk Douglas in the title role, but Starz made no mention of that Oscar-winning film in its announcement, saying instead that the series was inspired by the actual events but would be “re-imagined for a generation of TV viewers raised on graphic novels and cutting-edge production technology.”

The series, which has Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Joshua Donen as executive producers, will be shot in New Zealand. Starz has ordered 13 hourlong episodes to premiere next summer.