Starz will look to resurrect its Spartacus franchise with a new series produced by franchise creator Steven S. DeKnight. 

The yet-to-be-named series will go beyond the original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which aired in 2010 and starred the late Andy Whitfield, according to Starz. The series will depict a “new tale of treachery, deceit and blood unfolding beneath the shadow of Rome,” said the network.

The series would be the fifth show in the Spartacus universe, following Blood and Sand, Spartacus: God of the Arena (2011), Spartacus: Vengeance (2012) and Spartacus: War of the Damned (2013).  

“It has been over a decade since Spartacus delighted international audiences and we are thrilled to reimagine and expand this gripping, action-packed drama for our viewers today,” Starz president of original programming Kathryn Busby said in a statement. “Spartacus has deeply invested fans who are eager for its return, and we look forward to working with Steven on this exciting new chapter.”

The Spartacus franchise expansion comes on the heels of other similar efforts to build upon well-known Intellectual Property to attract audiences. Showtime recently announced new iterations of its Dexter and Billions franchises, and Starz itself recently announced plans to expand Outlander with a prequel series. ■ 

The 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival has landed four film restorations, Apollo 13 (1995), Spartacus (1960), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), for the sixth annual Hollywood festival from March 26-29.

Passes will go on sale to the public Nov. 13 at noon, and an exclusive pre-sale will be available for Citi cardmembers on Nov. 11 at 10 a.m.

This year's theme will be History According to Hollywood, where Carl Davis is set to conduct the world premiere for his original score of Steamboat Bill Jr.

TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne will lead the way, with event introductions by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz. Screenings and events for the festival will take place at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre, along with other Hollywood venues.

Passes will be sold Nov. 13 as follows:

-The "Spotlight" Festival Pass: $1,649

-The "Essential" Festival Pass: $749

-The "Classic" Festival Pass: $599

-The "Palace" Festival Pass: $299

Starz Digital Media, the global digital and VOD licensing and syndication arm of Starz, said it has notched a deal to offer the first two seasons of Spartacus– Blood and Sand and Vengeance – as well as its six-part prequel, Gods of the Arena, to Amazon Prime and Prime Instant Video members in Germany.

Seasons one and two and the six-part prequel are available now at www.amazon.de/piv, and Amazon Prime or Prime Instant Video subscribers can also watch those titles via Playstation 3 and 4 consoles, the Xbox One and Xbox 360, WiiU and Wii, connected Sony Bravia devices, LG smart TVs, and Samsung smart TVs and Blu-ray players produced in 2012 and 2013. Amazon has also launched apps for the Kindkle Fire HD/HDX, iOS devices, and Apple TV (via AirPlay).

Season three of Spartacus, which will conclude the epic series, is slated to debut in early 2015.

Amazon offers a library of about 13,000 titles via Prime Instant Video in Germany.

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Prime Instant Video, so their German subscribers can enjoy the action-packed and gripping drama of Spartacus whenever they want, at home as well as on the go,” said Mara Winokur, SVP, digital for Starz Digital Media, in a statement.

The deal with Amazon is the latest on the digital from for Starz overseas. Starting June 9, Starz Digital Media began to sell episodes of new original series Power in the U.K. via several electronic outlets, including Amazon Instant Video, blinkbox, Google Play, iTunes, Sony Entertainment Network and Xbox Video, following their Saturday night premieres in the U.S.