New Bloody, Sexy Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Trailer

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena approaches! Believe it or not, the premiere of the highly anticipated Starz prequel series is just over two months away and today Starz released a very intense, bloody, sexy, sandy trailer.

It took me a few episodes to really get into Spartacus: Blood and Sand but once I realized there was more to the series besides sex and violence (of which there is an abundance), I was hooked on it and I expect the same to be said for this prequel series. The trailer (below) seems to sell the sex and violence about as much as Starz did for Season 1 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand but there is a story to be told here. Gods of the Arena takes place before Spartacus arrived and the story will follow Gannicus, the original champion of the House of Batiatus. In addition to some new characters set to be introduced, the prequel will also feature Batiatus, Lucretia, Crixus and Oenomaus (before he was Doctore).

The six-episode season will premiere on January 21st at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz and will air on Fridays at 10 after that. Starz posted some photos from the premiere episode on their Facebook Page. Below is the latest trailer and further down is the full description for the series.

Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed through the gates onto the sand. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus (Dustin Clare) in a more ruthless time before Spartacus’ arrival where honor was just finding it’s way into the arena.The new series adds to the cast Jaime Murray as Capua’s sexy social climber Gaia and Marisa Ramirez as Melitta, a beautiful slave who must face the ultimate decision of the heart. Jeffrey Thomas plays Batiatus’s father Titus, the traditional and cautious Lanista, head of the Ludus. They join returning cast members John Hannah (Quintus Batiatus), Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Peter Mensah (Oenomaus, before he becomes Doctore, the gladiator trainer) and Manu Bennett (Crixus).As the prequel begins, Quintus Batiatus is the acting Lanista while his father Titus is on an extended visit to Sicilia. But Batiatus isn’t satisfied with just the thought of taking over the Ludus one day; he aspires to political power and prestige in Capua, and perhaps beyond. In the class-conscious world of ancient Rome, the House of Batiatus must first earn the respect of both politicians and socialites before being granted the right for its gladiators to fight in the much-revered championship bouts called the Primus. Batiatus must not only survive the harsh politics of Capua, but also compel his hedonistic fighter, Gannicus, to embrace being a champion gladiator who will bring esteem and respect to the House of Batiatus.Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.