The gladiatorial saga returns after a ten-year absence to explore a darker alternate history. Spartacus: House of Ashur will premiere on December 5, 2025, through Starz with a special two-episode launch event. This ten-episode series will follow Ashur, played by Nick E. Tarabay, who survives and becomes master of the ludus that once enslaved him.
Original creator Steven DeKnight returns as showrunner alongside cast members Graham McTavish and Lucy Lawless. Filming took place in Auckland, New Zealand, where production utilized 490 crew members at its peak.
Spartacus: House of Ashur Release Date and Time
Spartacus: House of Ashur will release on Friday, December 5, 2025, at midnight ET on the Starz app. Viewers on the West Coast can access the content at 9:00 PM PT on Thursday.
The first two episodes will be released simultaneously during this premiere event. The remaining episodes will release weekly every Friday at midnight ET until the series finale airs around January 30, 2026.
Country / Region (Time zone)Release date (premiere)Release time (premiere)United States (ET / PT)5 December 2025Starz app: 12:00 AM ET / 9:00 PM PT (previous day)United Kingdom (GMT)6 December 2025MGM+: 12:00 AM GMTEurope, MGM+ countries (CEST)6 December 2025MGM+: 1:00 AM CETAustralia (AEDT)5 December 2025Stan: (TBA)New Zealand (NZDT)6 December 2025ThreeNow: 12:00 AM NZDT
International audiences will receive day-and-date access across multiple streaming platforms. UK and European viewers will stream via MGM+ starting Saturday, December 6 at midnight GMT.
Australia’s Stan will release episodes on Friday, December 5, but no specific time has been announced yet. New Zealand’s ThreeNow will premiere the series on Saturday, December 6 at midnight NZDT. Canada’s Starz platform will follow the US schedule with midnight ET releases.
No confirmed release dates or streaming platforms exist for India (IST), the Middle East, Japan (JST), South Korea (KST), or Brazil (BRT) at this time.
What To Expect From Spartacus: House of Ashur
A still from Spartacus: House of Ashur | Credit: Starz Originals
The series asks what might have happened if Ashur survived Mount Vesuvius and received a reward for his betrayal. In this alternate timeline, Ashur helped Crassus k*ll Spartacus and effectively ended the rebellion.
His treachery earned him ownership of the House of Batiatus ludus. Lucretia appears in the premiere to offer Ashur this reality while the character wakes with no memory of his original downfall.
Ashur now commands the arena that once enslaved him and faces new challenges. He will introduce Achillia as the franchise’s first female gladiator to break 100 years of historical precedent (via Entertainment Weekly).
Together, they will create entertainment that shocks Roman elites and disrupts traditional gladiatorial combat. The former slave discovers that ruling gladiators proves easier than navigating the dangerous world of Roman politics.
The cast includes multiple returning and new faces across ten episodes. Graham McTavish plays Korris, Ashur’s Doctore and former champion, while Claudia Black portrays Cossutia. Jackson Gallagher joins as Julius Caesar to serve as the representative for Crassus.
The series maintains the franchise’s signature violence, explicit content, and political intrigue. According to Screenscribe, production employed 9,411 extras and trained actors through intensive gladiator bootcamps lasting 4.5 hours daily.
What are your thoughts on Ashur’s return to power in the new Spartacus series? Share your expectations for this bold reimagining of the legendary saga.
Spartacus: House of Ashur will premiere its first two episodes on Starz on December 5, 2025, followed by weekly drops through January 30, 2026
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
