Back in 2010, Spartacus: Blood and Sand was a big hit for Starz and the Spartacus series was actually renewed for a second season before any episodes had even aired. The future of the project was put in jeopardy however when star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with cancer. Production was delayed while he was treated but ultimately Whitfield had to step down from the series. He tragically ended up passing away two months ago.

Liam McIntyre took over the role of Spartacus for season two, with Whitfield’s blessing, and now Starz is finally ready to launch it. Co-starring Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Dustin Clare, Nick E. Tarabay and Katrina Law, Spartacus: Vengeance will start airing on Friday, January 27, 2012.

Here’s the press release from the cable channel:

SPARTACUS RETURNS WITH A “VENGEANCE”

LIAM MCINTYRE DEBUTS AS SPARTACUS IN “SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE” FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 AT 10PM ET/PT ON STARZ

Beverly Hills, CA., November 3, 2011 – “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” premiered on STARZ in January 2010, and quickly became one of the most talked about shows on television. The first season ended in an explosive finale, “Kill Them All,” as Spartacus led a brutal rampage at the House of Batiatus that more than fulfilled the promise of the episode’s title.

“Spartacus: Vengeance” begins just a few weeks after that massacre. Capua is in an uproar. The gladiators have escaped and formed an uneasy alliance. Spartacus wants to exact revenge on the man responsible for killing his wife, but he will soon understand his life is about something greater than avenging Sura’s death. His mission is to build an army, set free the slaves and topple the Roman Empire. STARZ Originals newest series “Spartacus: Vengeance,” premieres Friday, January 27th at 10pm ET, only on STARZ.

Australian actor Liam McIntyre (Ektopos, Radev, “Neighbours,” “The Pacific”) assumes the title role of Spartacus in this next chapter of the acclaimed series. McIntyre is joined by returning favorites: Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess,” “Battlestar Galactica”) as Lucretia; Peter Mensah (Avatar, 300, The Incredible Hulk) as Oenomaus – once known as Doctore; Manu Bennett (The Marine, 30 Days of Night), as Crixus; Dustin Clare (“Underbelly,” “Satisfaction”) as Gannicus; Nick E. Tarabay (“Crash,” “CSI: Miami”) as Ashur; and Katrina Law (“Third Watch”) as Mira.

Season two also brings the return of “Blood and Sand” cast members, Craig Parker (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) as Gaius Cladius Glaber, the Roman commander who condemned Spartacus to slavery, and his alluring and cunning wife Ilithyia (Accidents Happen), played by Viva Bianca. Actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson (“Dirt”) joins the series as Naevia, the former body slave to Lucretia who was banished from the Ludus for engaging in a love affair with Crixus.

Premiering exclusively on STARZ, “Spartacus: Vengeance” is produced by executive producers Rob Tapert (The Grudge, “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), Steven S. DeKnight (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and The Evil Dead), and Joshua Donen (The Quick and the Dead). This same conceptual creative team behind the highly anticipated “Spartacus: Vengeance” also produced the first two installments of the series: season one, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” and the prequel, “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.”

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R) brands with approximately 19 million and 32.9 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to seeing Spartacus: Vengeance?

Image courtesy Starz.