Tag Archives: Xena: Warrior Princess

The Lesbian Reboot of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Has Been Nixed

Last year we reported NBC was planning a big, lesbian reboot of Xena: Warrior Princess, but that reboot is apparently dead in the water.

The reboot, which was set to bring back co-creators Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, was going to focus more on the lesbian relationship between the Amazonian goddess and Gabrielle – played by Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor respectively in the original.

But problems occurred when it was announced that writer and showrunner Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, The 100) left the project over creative differences.

When he left the project in April he wrote:

I’m heartbroken to have left the Xena project over insurmountable creative differences. The character is dear to me, and to millions of fans worldwide, and I truly believe that now — more than ever — a land in turmoil cries out for a hero. I truly hope that the alchemy of creative elements that has to come together to make possible either a reboot or revival of this amazing property will someday coalesce, and that Xena will return in a way that does honor to what came before while looking to the future.”

It was rumored that these creative differences stemmed from him wanting to put the lesbian relationship front-and-center, which lead to today’s announcement from NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke that the reboot won’t go forward at all.

Salke told the Hollywood Reporter.

Nothing is happening on that right now. We looked at some material; we decided at that point that it didn’t warrant the reboot.”

NBC says it hasn’t closed itself off entirely to a reboot down the line so, while you wait for them to get their shit together and make the right decision on this, catch up on the original show on Hulu.

17 Fictional Characters That Helped Us Confirm Our Queerness

Buzzfeed asked their readers what fictional character helped them realize they were queer and here are some of the most popular characters nominated along with the best reasons why.


Xena Warrior Princess

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Best reason given by a reader:

The opening credits where she fondles her boobs had me hooked at 5.”


Willow Rosenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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Best reason given by a reader:

I remember thinking how I wanted a girl in long witchy skirts to hold my hand. (Not much has changed.)”


Dana Scully, The X Files

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Best reason:

I hope Gillian Anderson knows how many people she helped. National freaking treasure, that woman.”


Shane McCutcheon, The L Word

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Best reason:

No other words needed except for: HOLY HOT DAMN.”


Spencer and Ashley, South of Nowhere

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Best reason:

It was watching Spencer and Ashley’s relationship develop on South of Nowhere that made me realize that you can have relationships with other women and it’s perfectly normal and amazing.”


Jules Paxton, Bend It Like Beckham

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Best reason:

Jules was just so hot and so good at football and one of the reasons I actually begged my parents to let me start playing. Honestly this is one of my favourite movies for lesbian subtext, and in my head this film ended with Jules and Jess getting together.”


Brittany and Santana, Glee

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Best reason:

I feel like we went through a journey together because when Santana got married to Brittany, I finally started feeling comfortable with myself and came out to the people closest to me.”


Susanna Kaysen, Girl Interrupted

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Best reason:

I realised how not into her relationship with Toby I was and how much I wanted Susanna and Lisa to, basically, do more kissing.”


Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

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Best reason:

I’d always been curious about other girls, but this confirmed to me that I liked girls as well as boys. She just oozed confidence and strength and I wanted to be her! That gave me the confidence to be myself. My husband thinks it’s pretty cool that we had the same teenage crush!”


Megan and Graham, But I’m a Cheerleader

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Best reason:

I sat two inches away from the screen with the sound on mute at 2am (this was in the dark ages before on-demand), and while I didn’t have all the words for it, I knew that Clea and I had more than a rocking bob in common.”


Jillian Holtzmann, Ghostbusters

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Best reason:

Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters makes me wish I was a sexually confused 9-year-old just figuring it out.”


Lucy Diamond, D.E.B.S

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Best reason:

I still crush hard on her character to this day. I could watch her lip-synch ‘A Little Respect’ endlessly.”


Emily and Naomi, Skins

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Best reason:

The Naomi-and-Emily storyline in Skins took the wind right out of me – why couldn’t I stop thinking about this silly TV romance? I was randomly introduced to another fan who supported me through that short roller coaster of revelations. By chance, she turned out to be the absolute love of my life and if it wasn’t for that show and that storyline I wouldn’t be married to the most amazing woman. The past six years have been the best years of my life. Thanks to Skins. I owe Skins so much.”


Jenifer, Jenifer’s Body

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Best reason:

Literally anything with Megan Fox in it got me thinking, Well, maybe I’m bi, and here we are today.”


Alex Vause, Orange is the New Black

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Best reason:

Watching that episode where she puts her glasses on top of her head and tells Doggett, ‘I will fuck you’ – I was all, ‘Yes, please. Where do I sign up!’”


Callie and Arizona, Grey’s Anatomy

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Best reason:

Arizona Robbins and Callie on Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t get me wrong, I guess I always kind of knew I was into girls, but seeing these two characters’ together kind of made it click for me. Forever my favourite couple on Grey’s.”


Missy Pantone, Bring it On

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Best reason:

I was like 5 years old when I saw it, and to this day, I still want her to bring it on.”

Our ‘Warrior Princess’ Is Set to Return, But What Do The Original Cast And Writer Think About It?

My heart actually pounded when I heard Xena would be coming back to our screens via NBC network.

I crushed on her so much it was incredible! Along with the fact I was convinced she was getting down and dirty with Gabrielle I would listen to every word exchanged between them, convinced I was correct.

Oh, if only there had been such a thing as Fan Edits back then. I’d have died and gone to heaven creating skits for Xena and Gabrielle.

According to the Executive Producer of the reboot, Javier Grillo-Marxauch, this time around Xena and Gabrielle will be in a full-on relationship. Liz Friedman, the out writer of the original series told AfterEllen this was something the network didn’t want to come across. She said:

The studio was very worried about it, and I was the one saying to them ‘Guys, no one’s ever gonna think they’re gay.”

She reflects back to her own relationship with her then girlfriend who is now her wife and continued:

 We would go to the supermarket and I am a white Jew, she’s Creole and people would look at us, and it was clear that we were connected in some way, and they’d go ‘Are you two sisters?’ That fuck each other! What was bizarre to me that lesbians were so invisible in the real world, but then something just happened and I just assumed no one would ever think that about Xena and Gabrielle.”

Never think it? Girl, I KNEW it. Liz is not so sure what she thinks about a remake of this cult classic though. She seems to have a few mixed reactions about the whole concept.

I don’t know that it calls for a remake and yet I do think the idea of making what was subtext text is interesting and what you can add to it.  But I think the biggest thing we did was show this profound personal connection between two women and we never walled it off and said ‘But they’re straight, but they’re straight, but they’re straight.’ And I do think that, in its own way, is incredibly subversive.”

Javier Grillo-Marxuach cited the changing social views of the public when it comes to same-sex relationships as fuelling the decision to let them both become a couple. That’s cool, don’t get me wrong, but imagine what a difference it could’ve made to lez’s 15 years ago if they had had an out gay couple to drool over and look up to?

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Lucy Lawless who played the original Xena also seems to have some reservations of her own about a reboot. Lucy seems to think that if they are taking Xena and Gabrielle to the next level then they could go a step further. She suggested:

Now they need to make them an inter-racial couple, Black Xena!”

Now there’s an idea NBC. Are you listening? An inter-racial lez couple would be amazing for queer diversity. Xena will hit our screens later this year and I will just have to tune in and see what it’s like.

In my opinion remakes are either complete rubbish or really good. There is no middle ground.  So I shall be waiting in anticipation to see what Xena and Gabrielle will be getting up to together in this new edition.

No more than what I imagined back in the late 90’s I’m sure.

Could It Be? Writer Hints That New ‘Xena’ Reboot Could Be Super Queer Affair

After some “are they/aren’t they?” confusion last year, the Xena reboot is definitely moving ahead on NBC.

The network has already assigned executive producer, and writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach to the project.

And, if that name is familiar, it’s because Grillo-Marxuach is also a writer CW’s show, The 100, and was responsible for writing the recent controversial episode Thirteen. An episode in which we so the beloved character Lexa (Alycia Debnam Carey) killed off.

Lexa was a leading character, who was also the current love interest of lead protagonist Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor). However, when Debnam Carey signed on for the second season of Fear the Walking Dead as Alicia, The 100 knew they’d have to wrap up Lexa’s storyline before the actress left. They chose to kill her off.

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So how does this tie into the Xena reboot?

For years, fans of Xena have known the Warrior Princess and her companion Gabrielle were more than just friends. The network and the times just hadn’t caught up with them.

But in 2016 things look to be changing.

A fan of The 100 recently asked Grillo-Marxuach if the reaction to Lexa’s death would influence his writing on future projects like Xena.

 

His response was awesome:

I am a very different person with a very different world view than my employer on the 100 – and my work on the 100 was to use my skills to bring that vision to life.

Xena will be a very different show made for very different reasons. There is no reason to bring back Xena if it is not there for the purpose of fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown sub-textually in first-run syndication in the 1990s. It will also express my view of the world – which is only further informed by what is happening right now – and is not too difficult to know what that is if you do some digging.”

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So, we wait with baited breath, and wonder if his words will hold true.

7 Reasons Why We Need ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Back on Our Screens

Great Xena: Warrior Princess maybe back on our screens.

So, here are 7 reasons why a Xena reboot is long overdue.

1. Because she dawned the age of the female superhero

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2. Because no one has battle cry was like Xena’s – Ayayayayayaya!

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3. Because an episode of Xena is basically a history lesson – from Trojan War and the political world of Julius Caesar, we saw it all.

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4. Because Xena and Gabrielle lesbian love story broke our hearts were

Long before on-screen couples like Alex and Piper could declare their love explicitly, Xena and Gabrielle just bathed wordlessly together.

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5. Because no one can accessorise like Xena can accessorise

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6. Because Gabrielle was the best sidekick, ever

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7. Because Lucy Lawless rocks

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Yes! ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Reboot in the Works at NBC

It time to get your battle armour ready, as Xena: Warrior Princess maybe heading back to our television screens – fifteen years after the last episode of the show aired.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, are apparently planning a “modern reboot” – however, the pair still want the show’s main star, Lucy Lawless, heavily involved – with insiders saying she will be working both on set and behind the scenes.

At this year’s Comic-Con, Lawless shared her frustration that a reboot has not yet been made.

I’ve been pitching that show … because … there’s a swell of interest still. I’m always being peppered with questions [about] when the Xena movie is coming. Guys, I’m pitching my ass off to make it happen, whether it’s with me or not. I think it’d be funny to have a reboot like Ash vs. Evil Dead — like middle-aged Xena in a muumuu with a bad attitude and a smoking habit. … Bring [actor] Ted Raimi [who played Joxer] in … [and maybe] Bruce Campbell.”

She added

I don’t know what the hold-up is; it’s about who has got the rights, but that’s a piss-poor excuse anymore. Find who has got the rights, freakin’ pay it. It’s better to have 80% of something than 100% of nothing. Don’t waste this opportunity; reinvigorate that franchise!”

During its six-season run, the show’s popularity excelled – largely due to Xena’s on/off lesbian relationship with her companion Gabrielle, with the pair now regarded as feminist and LGBT icons.

The news follows a report by TV watchdog Ofcom earlier this month, which claimed broadcasters are failing to make minorities feel represented on screen. The report revealed that a majority of the LGBT community feel that they are either under-represented on television or portrayed in a negative way.

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Revisiting Xena comes as reboots continue to be in high demand as broadcast and cable networks alike look to proven commodities (and fan bases) to cut through the clutter in an increasingly competitive scripted landscape. Key to their success is having the original producers involved.

For its part, NBC is also readying a Coach follow-up with star Craig T. Nelson. Fox, meanwhile, is bringing The X-Files back in January and has plans to produce another run of Prison Break after successfully reviving 24 on top of its film-to-TV take on Minority Report.