Lucy Lawless Just Revealed the ‘Xena’ Fantasy Story We Should Have Gotten
Lucy Lawless has revealed the concept she wished had been made instead of the shelved *Xena: Warrior Princess* reboot, saying a prequel film exploring the character's youth would have been far more compelling. Writing on Instagram, the actress addressed the failed 2015–2016 reboot attempt led by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, which NBC ultimately cancelled, and outlined her preference for a feature-length origin story instead. The remarks matter to fans because they offer the clearest indication yet of how Lawless envisions expanding the beloved 1990s fantasy series, even though she stopped short of confirming any new project is actually in development.
Lawless said she would have preferred a film covering Xena's childhood, birth, family life in Amphipolis, early hardships, the loss of her brother, and the events that pushed her towards becoming a ruthless warrior. The original series only briefly touched on this backstory, including her brother's death during an attack by the warlord Cortese, a betrayal by Julius Caesar, and her transformation after witnessing the death of Egyptian slave girl M'Lila. A prequel, the article argues, could flesh out these formative events and better illustrate Xena's eventual journey from warlord to hero.
- Lucy Lawless wanted a Xena prequel film instead of the cancelled reboot
- Idea would explore Xena's childhood, trauma and turn to darkness
- No new Xena project has been confirmed, despite fan interest
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Xena: Warrior Princess was a syndicated fantasy-adventure TV series that ran from 1995 to 2001, starring Lucy Lawless as a former warlord turned hero seeking redemption. It became a cult favourite for its blend of mythology, action and humour, and remains closely linked to Lawless, who has stayed involved in discussions about reviving the character ever since the show ended.
A planned reboot of Xena was announced around 2015, developed by writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach for NBC, but the project ultimately did not move forward and was shelved. Since then, fans have periodically speculated about whether the franchise might return in some form, whether as a new series, film or spin-off.
Lawless's comments matter because they come from the person most associated with the character, offering insight into how a future project might look even though nothing has been formally announced. The original series only briefly explored Xena's backstory, so any suggestion of a prequel touches on unresolved threads that longtime fans have wanted developed for years.