One of Starz' Biggest Shows Has Been Officially Cancelled

1 week ago 6

Image via Starz

Published May 22, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

Last year, cable network Starz put a reboot of one of their biggest historical hits back into the arena. However, the ratings have delivered their verdict, and it's a resounding thumbs-down. The series has been cancelled after a single season.

According to reports, Spartacus: House of Ashur has been cancelled after its first season, which began last December and concluded in February. However, Lionsgate, which produced the series, is shopping it to other outlets. The series is the latest entry in a franchise that dates back to 2010; created by Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil), the series explored an alternate universe in which the treacherous Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay, The Expanse) was not beheaded by rebellious slave Naebia on Mount Vesuvius, but survived and was given control of the gladiator school he once toiled in. With his new top warrior at his side, the Nubian gladiatrix Achillia (Tenika Davis, Jupiter's Legacy), he navigates the merciless arena of Roman politics. The series also starred Graham McTavish (House of the Dragon), Claudia Black (Farscape), Ivana Baquero (Pan's Labyrinth), Leigh Gill (Joker), and Jordi Webber (Prosper).

What Is the 'Spartacus' Franchise About?

Spartacus debuted in 2010, and starred Andy Whitfield as the legendary Roman gladiator who led a slave uprising in ancient Rome. The series was noted for its unflinching look at sex and violence in the ancient world, and became a critical and ratings success; however, Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, resulting in the second season of the series being delayed and replaced with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel miniseries, while he underwent treatment. Unfortunately, Whitfield succumbed to the disease, and Liam McIntyre was cast in his place. The series continued for two more seasons, following Spartacus from his rise as a gladiator, to his rebel uprising, and finally his death as a free man. It also starred John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, and Manu Bennett.

Spartacus: House of Ashur was caught in an awkward position; when it was first greenlit, Starz and Lionsgate were a single entity, but the companies have since been split apart, meaning that it is no longer one of Starz' homegrown series. Its audience also no longer aligned with Starz' demographics.

Spartacus: House of Ashur has been cancelled by Starz after one season. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.